Ultraviolet
by marco2050
Summary: Violet runs away from home, away from her problems. Meanwhile, a new villain threatens to break the family apart, with Violet as his prime target.
1. No one's Bulletproof

Ultraviolet

Original summary: Violet runs away from home, away from her problems. Meanwhile, a new villain threatens to break the family apart, with Violet as his prime target.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Incredibles and other related information.

Author's notes: The main story was completed on August 23rd, 2005. Subsequent chapters belong to Codename: S.P.E.C.I.A.L, a follow-up on the story's villains. For the new reader's sake, the original summary is included above. Reviews are still welcomed…

**Announcement**: 15 Feb. 06: I received a private message from Tyrant231 to change the title of this story because of the film release of the same name. I have decided against it, not to stir up legal issues, because the name bears relevance to the theme of the whole fic, which is 'Beyond Violet' (literally translated from Ultraviolet). Also, I've been using the title for some time now, so please don't accuse me of stealing the title from the movie…

Chapter 1

No one's Bullet-proof

"Vi, stay where you are and give me some protection if necessary."

For the third time this week, the Incredibles were on a night mission to foil some criminal's plan. This time, they were facing four bank robbers. When the Incredibles arrived on the scene, the robbers were hauling sacks of cash and jewellery to their getaway vehicle, a van with peeling blue paint. It seems like they were expecting the arrival of the Incredibles. Dropping the loot by the roadside, they pulled out an assortment of handguns and semi-automatic rifles, ready to fire upon the Super.

Crouched behind a pillar, Violet peeked around the corner and cast a large force field around her father, deflecting shots from the thugs' firearms, as he ploughed into them. Guns clattered to the floor as they were sent flying. Before one of them could scramble forward to pick up his weapon, Dash had dumped it on the sidewalk, before running back in time to give him a kick to the face. From Violet's vantage point, she saw the thug's getaway driver pick up the fallen loot, before her mother knocked him out with an extended fist to his face.

The battle's half won, Violet thought, as she watched her father take on two robbers single-handedly. Meanwhile, Elastigirl was wrestling the stubborn driver, who refused to be taken in. Dash was running around in circles around one of the robbers, tripping him every few seconds. The last robber, whom Violet presumed was knocked out, was in fact crawling inch by inch towards his handgun. Violet caught sight of it through the corner of her eye. Feeling a rush of adrenaline, she contemplated taking on the robber by herself. Her lack of action during the past few missions had bored her; she was only supposed to attack only in critical situations.

OK, it looks critical now, Violet thought with a lopsided grin. Besides, she argued with her rational mind, I can't scream and give away my position.

Turning herself invisible, she rounded the corner and took off towards the robber at a sprint. She leapt into the air and aimed a kick at the back of the robber's head, but it was too late. The robber picked up the gun, scrambled to his feet and took aim at the largest target: Mr Incredible.

"Dad!"

Violet turned around in time to realise that her father was in danger. She swung her hands out in time to cast a force field around her father. Her concentration broken, she fell on her front with a thud, desperate to maintain that force field. The shots deflected off the barrier, while Violet's invisibility faded.

The robber stopped firing, taking a step back in shock. He turned his head around, looking for the source of the scream. Whipping his body around, he trained the gun on her petite body, ready to fire. Reflex too over as she swung her arms in front of her, projecting a force field around herself. It came on just as the gunman pulled the trigger; she could see, as though in slow motion, a single bullet streaking towards her.

Her force field started to waver, disappearing for a split second before reappearing. Everyone looked on as Violet's only protection from the bullet, her force field, faded. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for imminent death.

The air in front of her turned icy-cold. Was this what death felt like? Violet wondered, before realising that the bullets have not hit her. Peeling her eyes open slowly, she saw a white mass suspended momentarily in mid-air, before falling to the ground with a thud. Embedded in its centre was a single bullet. Jerking her neck up, she saw a lanky Super in a white-and-turquoise suit; it was Frozone. The gunman was behind him, now resembling an ice sculpture.

"Hey there, girl." He smiled, revealing pearl-white teeth. "I've got your back covered." He reached out a hand and pulled Violet to her feet. Surveying her surroundings, she saw the rest of the thugs tied up. Dash was picking up any guns lying around and Elastigirl was returning the cash to the security guards.

"Well, I guess I'd better check on the cops, see what's taking them so long." Frozone gave a thumbs-up before casting an icy pathway in front of him.

Though the Supers' efforts against Syndrome were recognised by the public, no action was done to bring them back officially. When they do make an appearance, they have to leave quickly to avoid, among other things, being sued. So far, none of the Supers have been sued, and they were confident that within months, a new law would be passed which protects the rights of the Supers. In the meantime, the Supers have to keep a low profile.

A weak "thank you" was all Violet could mutter to her saviour before he took off. She was still badly shaken up by her close brush with death. Beside her feet was the very bullet that almost killed her, surrounded by shattered ice shards.

Dash sprinted up to her, tapping her on her back and brought her back to reality. "Hey, Vi, Dad says to get back to the car now." Barely after he finished, he had sprinted back towards where their car was parked: in a dark alley nearby. Violet took off at a trot, and by the time she reached the vehicle, her mother and brother were settled in their seats. Her father, however, was leaning against a wall with crossed arms, tapping his feet every few seconds. Violet opened her mouth to speak, but her father turned towards the car before she could speak.

"I'll talk to you when we get home," he said simply and got into the driver seat. Violet got into the back seat, buckled her seat belt and stared out of the window. A black cat jumped off a trash can lid, just as the car engine whirled into action. The car turned out of the alley and sped off, just as a couple of police squad cars pulled in front of the bank. In the Incredible's family car, there was utter silence. The usual post-mission banter between Violet and Dash was replaced with silence, something Violet was thankful for. It stretched on until the car pulled into the garage.

"I'm going to take a bath." Dash announced as soon as the car pulled to a stop, before speeding off.

Helen muttered something about going to check on Jack-Jack. Violet climbed out of the car, her head hung low, as her father grunted, "Living room."

Violet dragged her feet as she sat on the sofa, keeping her head low as her father sat in his armchair. For a while, neither father nor daughter spoke a word, although Bob kept shifting around uncomfortably in his seat. Finally, he said in a soft voice, "You do know you could have been killed just now?"

Violet raised her head and replied in the same tone as her father's. "Would you rather get killed yourself?"

The pained look on his face said quite clearly that, yes, he would rather die than put her daughter in danger. "I would have managed to escape… somehow. I've experienced this several times, there was no need for you to expose yourself."

"That was back in your prime, before you had us. How can you compare yourself now with the Mr Incredible of the old Glory Days? Besides, this wasn't our first mission, when will you let me have some action?"

"We agreed that your powers are to be used defensively, and you should only attack when you are in immediate danger. It's the only reason we allow our children to be out there with us… you have no idea how much pressure I'm under…"

Violet chortled, and felt a warm tear roll down her cheek. "Yeah, a whole lot of pressure from the public and the media, hailing the return of the Supers. Pressure when they feature you, Mom, even Dash in the papers, while I'm only rumoured to exist, because they can't catch a picture of me in the flesh."

"We have our reasons, Vi. It goes beyond our age or experience. It is our powers that help us in our fights. Your mother and I can handle any common thug. Dash can use his superspeed to get out of trouble, and even use his acceleration for offensive use. Your powers, though strong, can only aid you in the defensive aspect. Your physical body limits your strength, speed and reach. You may not be well-suited for attacking, but your powers offer protection that all of us wish we had."

Violet had no reply for that. Could she really do nothing else except defend? She kept the thought in her mind even as her father walked her to her bedroom before going off to bed himself. Alone in her room, Violet peeled off her mask and shed her suit, before changing into her pyjamas. She stifled a yawn and got into bed. She stared at the ceiling for a long time, before drifting off into a troubled sleep.

Trivia: Ultraviolet, as an idea, was conceived on November 30th, 2004, about thirty minutes after I watched the movie. The first idea I had for this fic involved Violet running away after her date with Tony, but the idea got scrapped for a few reasons. It showed me, on my first official released piece of fan fiction that some ideas have to make way for better ones.


	2. Ups and Downs

Ultraviolet

Chapter 2

Ups and Downs

Violet struggled to keep her eyes open as she grabbed some books from her locker. The recurring nightmares kept her from getting too much sleep. Her failure to control her powers yesterday was woven into another familiar dream: when she had failed to cast a force field around her mother and brother during their first mission to Syndrome's island base.

Sighing, Violet reached to close her locker door, but it wouldn't move. Violet noticed fingers gripping the bottom of her locker door. Frowning, she peeked around the door. It was Tony Rydinger, her boyfriend of sorts. Tony flashed a smile at her and she grinned back, fumbling to close the locker door in the process. She had gone out with him for a while now, after their first movie date. Since then, they had gone on movie dates every alternate weekend, but both of them were too shy for their relationship to progress beyond just holding hands.

"Hi there, Vi." Tony paused as Violet covered her mouth as she yawned. "What's wrong? Not sleeping well lately?"

Violet's mouth dropped open as she thought of a quick lie to cover up. What could she say; that she had nightmares because of her lack of control of her powers? However, she was saved from having to answer that question. A group of Tony's classmates were coming towards them.

"Hey, Tony! Let's go!" One of his friends shouted over, beckoning him to join them.

"Right. Violet, I got to go. See you at the cinemas tomorrow, OK?" He looked at Violet for one fleeting second before turning to his friends.

Violet stood rooted to the spot, staring at Tony's retreating back before she realised that she had lessons to go to. Turning on her heel, she headed for class, opening the door and sliding into her seat at the back of the class.

"Hi, Violet!"

"Morning, Violet!"

Violet nodded meekly at her classmates. She was never good with making friends, being perpetually shy. Sinking into her chair, her thoughts drifted to her meeting with Tony just now. When will she ever reveal to him that she is actually a Super? Her father had worked hard to conceal their secrets, will she ruin it by telling Tony?

Leaning against the wall, Violet adjusted her hair band and checked the time again. It was almost three in the afternoon, but there was still no sign of Tony. Shaking her head, she headed for the restroom. Her hands gripped on the door handle, she was about to push the door open when a scream from the crowd behind alerted her.

"Snatch thief! Stop that man!"

Violet turned to her right and was knocked down by a scrawny man clutching a handbag. Violet climbed to her feet and saw the man run towards the back exit. A surge of adrenaline coupled with righteous fury coursed through her blood. Reaching for her blouse button, she was about to change into her Super-suit when she realised that she didn't have it with her.

"Well, if I can't do it as a Super, I guess Violet Parr would have to suffice," she whispered to herself. She was eager, maybe even desperate, to prove to herself that she was fit to be a Super. She took off at a sprint; thankfully, she wasn't wearing high heels. She swung the door open and caught sight of the fleeing thief. He had a head start, but Violet was in a better shape. Violet's feet pounded against the linoleum as she gained on him.

Violet's hand reached forward and grabbed the collar of the thief's shirt, pulling it back. He fell to the floor with a thud and Violet reached for the handbag. The snatch thief refused to let go. For a moment they tussled for the bag. The thief gave a tug, and Violet fell. They clambered to their feet, but the thief pulled out a switchblade from his back pocket.

"Get… get away from me, girl," the thief stammered as he held the gleaming blade forward. The weak threat didn't stop Violet from delivering a roundhouse kick that knocked the weapon out of his hands. Now disarmed, the man lashed out with his fist, but Violet blocked it easily. She curled up her right fist and delivered a blow of her own; it connected with the man's face. The man reeled back, not unlike many of the villains her father took out.

However, much unlike those villains, the man recovered. In fact, he seemed unharmed. He shoved her to the floor and sneered, "You're too weak, girl." Snorting, he turned and fled into a group of moviegoers, the handbag in his possession.

Violet slammed her fist into the wall in agitation. She went in to prove herself, and ended up with a slap to her face. The words he said lingered in her ears. Maybe it was true; maybe she was weak. Supporting herself with her hands, she climbed to her feet. The hallway seemed longer than when she had first came through it. She opened the door with a tremendous effort, and walked aimlessly, until Tony shook her out of her trance.

"Violet! You're here at last. The movie starts in five minutes, where have you been?" Without waiting for her to reply, he continued. "Anyway, I got the popcorn and drinks, let's go in now."

He didn't notice… Violet thought. 'Insensitive jerk' came to her mind at once. She crossed her arms, following in Tony's wake, until they reached their seat. They watched the movie in silence. The romantic comedy did nothing to cheer her up. Whenever Tony asked her anything, she replied with a monotonous "nothing". Her mind was a blank.

After the movie, they streamed out with the rest of the other moviegoers. This was the part Violet had dreaded. She walked a little faster than normal, pushing away other passers-by. Tony tried to catch up with her, but she merely walked faster.

"Violet! Wait up!" Tony cried out. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder. Whirling around, she pushed his hand away and raised her fist. Her eyes were like burning coal. Tony, shocked at her behaviour, took a step back and whispered, "Violet, it's just me."

Her expression softened, she lowered her fist and lay her head on Tony's shoulders, sobbing. She wanted Tony to hug her, to comfort her. With Tony's arm wrapped firmly around her shoulders, the couple stood for minutes, as Violet released her pent-up stress. Finally, she felt well enough to pull herself from his grasp. Their eyes locked for a fleeting moment.

"Is there anything you want to tell me, Vi?"

"I'm sorry, Tony…" Her voice quaking, she lowered her head, but Tony's fingers lifted it up.

"Don't be. Take your time to get over whatever you're going through. We'll talk again next time."

Violet nodded. "Can… you… see me home?"

Tony nodded. Illuminated by the warm, amber glow of the setting sun, they strolled hand in hand towards the Parr's house. Any problems in Violet's mind were alleviated. At the same time, she wanted to be alone for a while. As they turned the last corner before reaching the Parr's house, Violet stopped. Tony turned back, looking at her.

"Tony… I think I'm fine now. I can make it back on my own. Your house's over that way, right?" Tony was about to say something, but Violet cut him off. "Don't worry, I'll be fine… I'll see you next week... I guess."

"All right. I'll see you around." He turned around towards his home. The short walk in solitude was exactly what she wanted. Her parents did not forbid her from seeing Tony, would they mind if she take their relationship one step further? She turned when she reached her house. Taking a deep breath, she opened the front door and stepped into a pitch-black house. She tried the lights, but it didn't work.

"Mom? Dad?" The house was still. Something was wrong; that much was obvious. She took a step forward, but stopped in her tracks.

"VIOLET! HELP!"

It was her mother.

Trivia: The buzzword in the story, 'Righteous Fury' was first used in this chapter, taken to mean 'anger driven towards justice'. It made it into a few other chapters, as well as the chapter title for no. 7.

Chapters one to four are the build-up to the first turning point in the story: the running away. These obstacles are to make Vi run away.

Ups and Downs was supposed to mean 'break-ups and breakdowns'. The break-up was my original idea for the running away, but due to some inexplicable reason, I abandoned the idea. Breakdown… only natural if you broke up with your boyfriend…


	3. Overture

Ultraviolet

Chapter 3

Overture

The scream was followed by deadly silence. Violet prayed silently that nothing would happen to her mother. She moved towards her mother's room, turning invisible in the process. Yeah, like her floating blouse would scare whoever was inside.

With the initial panic subsiding, Violet's logic kicked in. This assailant, whoever he was, could not be a two-bit burglar; surely her mother could handle that. No, this person must have powers too. The door to their parent's room was ajar. She reached out for it, giving it a slight push. The door creaked as it opened.

The first thing Violet saw was her mother; tied up in her own elongated arms and legs. Violet gasped, and knelt down beside the wild tangle of limbs, working to undo them. Her mother's cardigan had its sleeve ripped off, and there were deep gouges carved in her arms.

"Mom, what happened?" Violet said as she untied her mother's arms from her mouth, which served as a gag.

"We were attacked… but I don't know who… He's got superpowers, Violet… I was overpowered. He tied me up… Dash and Jack-Jack… I sent them to Lucius's." She gasped for breath as she spoke.

"Where did he go?" Violet questioned, heart racing. This assailant could be anywhere. The mystery behind his powers made them even more vulnerable. They don't know what they're up against.

"He's… Look out! Behind you!" Helen's fist shot around Violet's body and connected with the assailant. Violet rolled away, turning to face the door where their attacker had come from. In the back of her mind, she wondered why she didn't hear a fully-grown man running at top speed. She scrambled to her feet and took a good look at their assailant.

Facing them was a stocky man, shrouded in a cloak that covered his face. In a low growl, he said, "You're their daughter. Powers of invisibility and force fields... Your invisibility makes no difference here; your scent marks you well."

Helen got up to her feet. "What do you want?" she demanded.

"To capture your whole family. Alive."

"What? Why?"

"Money, of course. This client paid good money to see you back at his headquarters. Though I'd rather kill you, he insists that you were brought back… unspoilt."

So this guy's some kind of mercenary? Violet thought. He's gonna deal with our whole family alone?

"Who sent you?"

"You'll find out… when I capture you!" He sprung forward, catching Helen off-guard. His hand was about to strike Helen's arms when Violet cast a force field around her. The man bounced off the barrier, landing on all fours away from Violet and her mother. Letting loose a roar, he charged again. He made to attack Violet, and she responded with yet another force field. He's not going to get us, not while I'm using my force fields, Violet thought.

The answer came almost instantly. He used the force field around Violet as a springboard to pounce on Helen. With a bestial swipe, he knocked out Helen.

"Mom!"

"Don't scream, girl, because it's your turn next!"

He charged for the third time. Violet, without any time to think, dove to the left. The sharp nails dug into the spring mattress behind her, sending down feathers everywhere, leaving her attacker entangled in the metal springs of the bed. The grunts indicated that he was still struggling with the metal frame of the bed.

Violet surveyed the situation, a skill her father taught her, in case of such an occasion. Her attacker was busy freeing himself. She could try for the door, but it's no use. Their house was only this small, and she wasn't sure if she could outrun him outside. She thought of a plan, far riskier, but at least it could slow him down. Turning invisible, she crawled beside the glass panel window in their parent's room, searching for a piece of clothing with her hands. Her fingers came upon one of her blouses, freshly cleaned from the laundry. This can work, she thought to herself, scrambling to her feet.

Standing behind the curtain with the blouse held out in front of it like a bullfighter, she was sure that it looked exactly like her. Hopefully, he won't notice that her lower half were missing.

The sounds of metal thrown carelessly on the ground warned Violet that the assailant was free. He sniffed the air for a second, seemingly pondering about something. He turned his head towards her direction, with a menacing look on his face.

"Smart girl. You're invisible… but you're still IN MY SIGHT!"

He hit the blouse a second after Violet retracted her hands. Headfirst through the glass, it shattered. Shards of glass littered the grass; some were embedded in his blood-soaked cloak. He lay, motionless, in the grass.

Violet's first reaction was that he was dead. She stepped cautiously outside, through the now-broken glass window. Bending down, she turned the body over and took a glance at his facial features. Shaggy, grey hair that was cropped short, thick eyebrows that cast a dark shadow over his bright yellow eyes. Her fingers inched forward, shaking with every movement, towards the man's nose. Her fingers maintained for a few seconds, before she drew them back in an instant.

He was still breathing; Violet had not committed murder. The thought made her feel better, but it also meant that she had to deal with him in case he awoke. She turned back towards the house to get some rope, but the roaring of an engine drew her attention.

It was their family car, driven by her father. It tore down the road and Violet felt a wave of hope. Momentarily forgetting her task, she stumbled over the unconscious man's body as she ran onto the road. She stood in the path of the car, waving her arms and shouting, "Dad! Stop the car!"

The vehicle screeched as the brakes were applied. Skidding towards Violet, it came to a halt in front of her. Her father literally burst out of the car. His shirt was creased, it wasn't tucked in properly and his collar wasn't straight.

"Dad! We've been…"

"…Attacked. Yes, I know. His name is Bloodhound. He's a Super-hunting mercenary. He has senses like a dog, especially his ability to sniff out a target, given a blood sample, from a distance of more than a mile."

"So who hired him? And how did you know all this anyway?"

Her father stared at the ground, scratching his head and obviously avoiding the question. "That's not important. Where is he now?"

Violet explained their predicament briefly. "He's lying on the lawn, knocked out."

"Good." As he said that, he ripped out his shirt, revealing his Super-suit under it, picked up the car with one hand and laid it on the driveway. Violet winced, but subtlety didn't matter now. "We'll go check out Bloodhound."

Violet's view was blocked out by her father's large frame as they made their way to the lawn. "You see him, Dad?"

"He's gone!" Her father punched the air in frustration. Violet ducked under his massive arm to have a look herself. Sure enough, the only signs that an injured man ever lay there was the blood stains on the grass, and the glass shards marking his outline. "Get back into the house, and stay invisible."

After making enough room for Mr Incredible to enter, the duo stalked in silence towards the living room. Violet stayed crouched beside the television and her father stood in the centre of the room, arms out and ready for action. They tried to listen out for any movement; though it was most likely drowned out by their loud breathing. For a few seconds they waited…

The thin wall to the living room from across the room burst open as the villain, with his fists clenched, dove through the hole. He rolled to his feet, landing between Violet and her father.

"Ah, Mr Incredible. At last we meet. I'd love a good fight to the end, and you'd better stay out of this, Violet, or I'll take you out like I did to your mother."

"Bloodhound… Who sent you?" Mr Incredible's voice was quaking with fury.

"My client's information are private, Bob Parr, and you'd be glad it is, or the whole country will know about you and your little family of heroes." He spat at the last word. "Your secrets will be safe. I never get caught anyway. Now, for our fight." The villain squared off with the hero, as they circled around each other. Violet watched as they locked eyes, each with their purpose to fight. In a flash, the first blow was landed and the fight ensued.

Trivia: Reading on later, you'll find out about Mr Incredible and Mirage's affair… In this chapter, Mr Incredible knew about Bloodhound from Mirage, and rushed back immediately. (Notice the untidiness in his attire mentioned in that part)

Overture, referring to prelude, was chosen as chapter title as Bloodhound was just a prelude to the other villains. His purpose was really to appease the 'new villain' part I included in the summary.


	4. Letting Go

Ultraviolet

Chapter 4

Letting Go

Mr Incredible struck his target; Bloodhound was knocked back into the sofa. Whimpering, he crouched low on all fours. Mr Incredible picked up his armchair and threw it at Bloodhound, who directed it at the television with a swing of his arms. The screen of the television set shattered as the chair landed on top of it. Violet ducked out of the way safely under her force field.

The rampage through their house continued. Bloodhound evaded Mr Incredible's punches, blocking the potentially devastating blows or ducking away from his reach. For a few minutes, neither seemed to be gaining an advantage. The duel reached a brief respite as both men fell back, sweat sliding down their faces.

"Come on, Mr Incredible, show me some real power," Bloodhound taunted.

"I won't show mercy if you try to hurt my family," Mr Incredible said, eyes narrowed. He leapt forward, pre-empting a similar move by Bloodhound. He grabbed the villain in mid-air and slammed him to the floor, creating a tiny crater where they had landed.

"Way to go, Dad! You beat him!" Violet exulted, punched the air in joy and rushed out from behind her cover to hug her father.

"I'll check if he's still alive." They took a few steps towards his limp body. Mr Incredible bent down, just as Violet had done less than an hour ago. This time, he recovered much quicker. Snarling, his eyes snapped open. His feet connected with Mr Incredible's chin. Leaping to his feet, he pounced onto his opponent and they rolled on the ground, struggling to gain control.

Watching the carnage unfold, Violet tried to think of a way to save her father. She couldn't cast a force field to separate them. The situation looks critical to Violet. But was it critical enough for her to do something drastic? She didn't have time to ponder over it. Timing herself, she leapt onto the back of Bloodhound, who was about to deliver the knockout punch to Mr Incredible. Violet wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping her legs around his waist and squeezed, choking the life out of him.

"Get… off… me… girl!" Bloodhound growled as he reached for her. His fingers wrapped around Violet's neck. With the last of his breath, he threw Violet to the ground, back first. She gave a cry as pain shot up her spine, followed by brief numbness. Bloodhound stood triumphant over her.

"I warned you not to interfere. Now I'm going to…" He never got to finish. Mr Incredible's punch to the back of his skull did the job. He fell to his knees, before being pushed to the floor by Mr. Incredible. He raised a fist over the fallen villain's supine body, ready to deliver the killing blow, when he heard Violet.

"Dad… Help me…" Violet's weak plea for help got her father's attention immediately. Abandoning the villain, he rushed over to Violet.

"How are you feeling, Vi?" His shaking hand provided no comfort as he slipped Violet's hand into his.

"My back hurts…"

"Can you move?"

Violet tried to move each limb, succeeding each time, but a jolt of pain went up her back whenever she did.

"I think you're all right. I'll help you up to the sofa, OK?" Violet felt fingers around her back. Her father cradled her in his arms; she felt like a baby. She was laid down on the sofa gently. "I'll get back to you in a while, OK?" Violet heard her father's footsteps as he walked towards Bloodhound. "And where do you think you're going?"

Violet turned her neck as far as it could go without it hurting. Mr Incredible picked up Bloodhound and slammed him against the wall. He seemed bent on unleashing his fury on the man, shaking his limp body and tightening his hold on his neck.

"You win, Mr Incredible…"

"Shut up. Who sent you?" He shook Bloodhound several times more. For a fleeting second, Violet thought he was dead, his hands flailing like a rag doll.

"You'll never get an answer from me!" He swung his right hand in front of him. Mr Incredible managed to duck in time, but that wasn't his target. Bloodhound grabbed his last finger from his left hand, squeezing it with all his might. It broke like a twig, but Bloodhound masked the pain well.

"What are you doing?" Mr Incredible demanded, with the veins in his forehead throbbing.

"Within a few minutes, I'll be dead. Now let go of me!" Mr Incredible frowned, unsure of whether he should believe him or not. Perhaps out of pity, more than anything, he released his grip. Sliding to the ground, Bloodhound slumped over, groaning.

"Hang on, Violet, I'll get some help." Mr Incredible picked up the phone and punched in a few numbers. "Yes, Lucius, Bob here. Take Dash and Jack-Jack to the hospital… You know which one I'm talking about. I'm serious here. All right. See you in a while." He hung up, replacing the receiver. "All right, Violet, I'm going to take you to a friend's place." She was feeling better, and could stand up by herself. Her father helped her to the car and settled her in her seat. "Wait here, OK?" He returned to the house, returning with Helen and Bloodhound in each arm. With the trio in the back seat and their seat belts buckled, they set off.

"How's Mom?" Violet asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hmm? I never checked. Still knocked out cold, I suppose. That Bloodhound's punch is lethal."

Violet sighed and sank into her seat, before realising something important. "Dad, we're still in our Super-suits. And we are going to a hospital, right?"

"This hospital is operated by Supers. Like I said, we'll be around friends." The hospital loomed into sight. Bob turned into the driveway, travelling along the meandering road past several buildings and ambulances. The road led towards a hill, blocked by stop signs to warn drivers. The car drove sped up, seemingly oblivious to the signs.

"Dad? That's a dead end…" She had to eat her words. They blew past the foot of the hill. It was just an illusion, which was probably cast by an elderly female Super behind a guard office. She waved at the car as it drove past. The end of the tunnel was just a few hundred metres away. The front looked exactly like a regular hospital's ground floor: white pillars supporting the front. Beyond the automatic doors were receptionists in desks, doctors rushing around, nurses helping patients to their rooms.

Mr Incredible guided the car to a drive-in area, where nurses unloaded the passengers onto hospital beds and pushed them into separate operating rooms. The doctor on duty, a young female who looked like she was in her mid-twenties, greeted Violet.

"All right, Miss Incredible, let's see your report. Thrown onto your back? Hmm… I'm going to do an X-ray. Turn her over." She was flipped over by the nurses. The X-ray was over in a minute. The doctor spoke briefly with her aides, returning in time to see the results of the X-ray.

"Well, this is good. No lasting damage was done. Perfect condition, I might say. Now, let me do some more checks…" She tapped her finger in various parts of Violet's back, before certifying that she was all right. "The rest of your family's at Operating Room 5, down the hallway, to the right."

Violet thanked the doctor and took off, heading for said room. She pushed the door open, and sure enough, the whole family was there. Jack-Jack lay asleep in Dash's arms. Their mother was conscious at last; the gouges made earlier were healed too. Lucius, better known as Frozone, waved at her.

"Violet! Are you all right?" Her mother came over, followed by the rest of the family, hugging her and asking about her condition.

"I'm fine, Mom. What are we doing here, anyway?" Violet, eager at getting down to things at hand.

"Bloodhound's autopsy." A bespectacled doctor was bent over the cloaked man.

"So… he's dead?"

"Yes, and quite interesting, it seems. With the information your father told me, I checked his finger. There is a glass vial embedded in there. It contained some kind of liquid, his breaking it open must have released the liquid and it triggered his death."

"Maybe it's some kind of poison…" Mr Incredible suggested.

"Yes, more tests will be done to find that out, Mr Incredible. If there's more that we can find from him, I'll inform you. That is all." He exited the room, while the nurse wheeled him to the morgue.

"Right, it's about time we got home. We'll have to fix it up first thing in the morning. Frozone and Dash, would you mind taking Jack-Jack outside to the car first? We have to speak to Violet for a second." His look left no question; they left them alone in the room. Mr and Mrs Incredible turned their focus to their daughter.

"Vi, your father and I were talking about your recent… reckless streak, and tonight just made it clear to us that you have no regard for your life."

"Reckless? No regard for life?" Violet echoed. She had no idea what was coming, or what her parents were driving at. Mr Incredible lay a hand on Elastigirl's shoulder.

"It's OK, Helen, let me continue. You see, that day, during the bank robbery, you were almost killed. Let's face facts here. If not for Frozone, you'd be dead now. And just now, when you threw yourself on Bloodhound, do you know what could possibly happen?"

"Sure I do, just like the time when you were fighting the Omnidroid alone, or when Mom was stretched across three rooms facing five armed men, or when we were surrounded by Velocipods, or…"

"It's not the same, Violet…"

"How so? Any of us could have died…"

"I forbid you from saying such things." Her father sighed, and like a judge passing a verdict, he proclaimed, "the point is, your mother and I… have decided to ground you."

Trivia: The villain Bloodhound killed himself with a vial of snake venom hidden in his finger. In this way, he'll never be captured alive. Cunning for a mercenary… Look out for his re-appearance in Codename: S.P.E.C.I.A.L!


	5. Messengers

Ultraviolet

Chapter 5

Messengers

Violet's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what she just heard, but her father made it clearer.

"Until the end of your school term, you have to come home straight after lessons. All through your winter holiday, you cannot leave the house by yourself, and especially not on dates. You'll have to tell Tony about it. Oh, yeah, that includes any missions too." Violet was about to protest, but her father continued. "If you decide to calm things down, then we may consider..."

"Consider what? Making me a full-fledged Super? Letting me join in the fights?" Violet asked bitterly.

Helen stepped in before it turned into another fight. "Alright, Violet, calm down for a moment and hear your father out. We have your welfare at heart. This is for your own good."

Mr Incredible put in the last word. "You're not going into ANY fight until you learn to value your life, and that's final. Now get into the car."

He stormed off. Helen, however, pulled Violet into a quick hug. "Whatever you may be thinking, your father actually cares for you. I think a time-out would do you good." Violet, with her mother's arms around her shoulder, was escorted back to the car. They drove back to the house, which, though normal looking on the outside, was a wreck inside.

Bob made a quick decision. "I'll sleep on the couch, while your mother will share a bed with Violet. We'll sort things out tomorrow."

The family proceeded to bed, all except for Violet, who went to take a bath. She needed to cool down from what happened that day, from the date to the fight, and now, being grounded. She climbed into the bathtub and washed herself thoroughly. In the comfort of the tub, it took her a few minutes to reach some conclusions about her life. She hated her parents for bring this upon her. Normal teenagers didn't have to deal with losing control of their powers, night missions, or even with death. She threw the bar of soap in her hands at the far wall in frustration. Feeling the tears well up in her eyes again, she brushed them off with her fingers.

Stop crying, Violet, she told herself. This isn't the time to be weak.

There was only one thing for her to do.

She dried herself and put on her clothes. Peeking into her room, she saw her mother sleeping soundly. She tiptoed into her room and grabbed a bag and stuffed a couple of outfits into it. Pausing for a moment, she stuffed her Super-suit in too, along with her mask. Her mind was in a rush, not only because of her hasty decision, but also because she had no inkling of what to do after she had taken the first step out of the door.

What the heck, I'll take anything that comes, she thought, pounding a fist into her other palm.

She crept past her snoring father and opened the door. Turning back, she stole one last look at her father. Maybe she won't return till they found her. Skip lessons and sleep on a park bench. The prospect of the last thought made her shiver. She looked out of the door; the wide world was at her feet, both merciless and at the same time waiting to be explored.

The first step out of the house was indeed the hardest, but the rest came easily enough. Her first instinct was to head for Tony's house. It took a little over ten minutes to walk there. The lights were out, but she had expected it. Who'd stay awake at two in the morning anyway?

She turned away from the house. She had no reason to disturb Tony in the middle of the night, just because she ran away from home. No, she shouldn't drag Tony into this family squabble.

The air around her was tingling with a weird vibration; she sensed movement to her right.

"That's so sweet, visiting her boyfriend at night, I think I'm gonna be touched to tears." The voice came from behind her. Violet stopped in her tracks, not sure if that was real.

"Turn around, Miss Parr, or we may have to make you do so." She heard the sound of a weapon being cocked. Who the hell… Violet thought. Well, they probably don't know about my powers, otherwise they won't be using conventional weapons.

She turned to face the road, where there were four people wearing suits which reminded her of her own, except theirs were completely black, with matching yellow boots and gauntlets. Their masks were the only unique features of each member of the group. A young man, about twenty, who was leaning against a vehicle reminiscent of those flying high-tech cars in sci-fi movies, stood forward. The remaining three stood in a circle around the vehicle.

"How quickly the situation change, Violet, for just a few hours ago another man was in a your position, and you were in mine. Outnumbered, without the powers to match ours, you might as well give yourself up."

In a flash Violet realised who he was talking about. "So… you sent Bloodhound?"

"No, but we were watching him all this while. Now, you have a choice, as always, to come peacefully or resisting. Anyway, it doesn't matter." He pulled out a cylinder-shaped grenade, tossing it a few feet into the air and catching it.

Violet didn't wait. The force field was up long before the pin was pulled and the grenade tossed. It arched over his head, spinning as it went, as it gathered speed on the descent.

"Interesting power. I heard that you used it to get past Syndrome's zero-point energy." As he spoke, a blue orb surrounded the grenade, exactly like Syndrome's zero-point energy. The grenade slid through her force field like a knife cutting through butter, in the same way her force fields could slide through those orbs. Pale green gas spewed from two openings. "Drop the force field, Violet. Gas, in an enclosed area… You should be smarter than this."

Both options were death traps. Violet had no choice. The gas wafted up to her nose. She dropped her force field and scrambled back from the deadly gas, coughing.

"Good. Decisive, but was it the better of the choices? It just means that I have to deploy another trick." He pulled out a rocket launcher, which was slung over his shoulders and took aim straight at Violet.

Violet gasped. Having a handgun aimed at you was one thing, but staring down the barrel of a rocket launcher made your legs wobble. She backed away, but came up against the wall of Tony's house. If he fired a rocket at Tony's house… She didn't want to think of the consequences. She turned invisible and rolled to her right, away from the wall. The rocket launcher trained on her every move.

"Wrong move, Violet." Even as she wondered how he saw him, her entire vision was filled with white light, and she lost consciousness.

Trivia: This chapter is one of the first 'turning points' in the story, the 'running away' mentioned in the summary. Coincidentally, I got the Specialists to attack her just as she ran away. This chapter also has the least words in the story. I know… trivia.


	6. 18 Levels

Ultraviolet

Chapter 6

18 Levels

Black. It was all she saw…

Violet's eyes peeled open slowly, and she blinked repeatedly after. There was only black in front of her. Was she… blind? Feeling an irresistible urge, her hands inched towards her eyes, trying to convince herself that she hadn't lost her sight. The curvature of her eyelids assured her that her eyeballs were in place. She touched the area around her eyes; it was the smooth felt material of her mask. The familiar sensation of spandex hugging her body… she realised that she was wearing her Super-suit. How come… She brushed that thought aside. Nothing would matter to her if she can't see.

"Rest assured, you're not blind." The voice boomed around her, echoing off what were surely walls. "Welcome to my lair, Violet."

"Who… Syndrome?" Violet voiced out the first thought in her head. "What do you want with me?"

The voice was nothing like Syndrome's mocking tone. It was slow and steady, like a person speaking from experience.

"Youngsters… always so impatient… The 'Syndrome' you speak of is currently missing after he 'died'… As for what I want… I want to see if the children of the legendary Mr Incredible and Elastigirl are any good." The mystery speaker chuckled. "Or are you too weak to live up to her parents' name?"

Violet felt the rage build up inside her, especially after being called weak. Her gloved hands felt the floor around her. It felt like solid steel; at least she wasn't going to fall into an abyss. Pushing against the floor, she tried to get up. She slid to the ground almost instantly, unsure of her feet's position on the floor. She groaned and climbed to a squatting position. Rising slowly, with her arms spread out, she righted herself.

"Good. Now we can start."

She felt movement under her feet, and almost tumbled to the ground. Spreading her legs out to shoulder-width, she raised her hands to her side to her side to aid her balance. Her eyes scanned the darkness around her, cursing silently at the futile results. The very ground under her is moving, though in what way, she did not know.

She formulated a plan: Move towards a wall and feel for an exit. Raising her foot, she took half a step forward. There was a flicker of light to her right; she slammed her foot to the floor hastily. With the side of her eye she caught a glimpse of a man running past her. The light faded in a second; she was in the darkness again.

"So how does it feel like to be invisible?"

The light flicked on again, this time directly in front of her. The light went off before she could register what she saw: Muscular fingers gripping a rifle aimed straight at her heart. She flailed her arms, falling backwards in the process. Her confidence waning, it took her twice the effort to stand up. Violet raised her hands to combat position, ready for any surprises. Still, her heart was pounding, trying to anticipate the direction of the next attack.

Several seconds passed. Violet's head scanned the dark oblivion in front of her, desperate for a sign of any threats coming from her side. She heard a soft click from under her feet; the floor stopped moving.

Immediately her heart skipped a beat. There was someone behind her. Summoning the last of her courage, she whirled around, fist raised, just as the now familiar light shone on a soldier's facial features. In an instant her fist connected with it.

A sharp pain shot up her arm; whatever she hit wasn't human. Violet groped the air around her, feeling smooth plastic. She could have slapped herself. It was merely a plastic statue. She reeled back as a soft beep came from in front of her.

"You're too weak, girl." It took her a second to recognise the voice; it was the snatch theft she tried to stop before she ran away. She felt like a healing wound was reopened, one which had barely healed.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She shouted to the darkness in front on her, even as tears streaked down her face. The answer that she got was not what she had in mind.

Light flooded the room from all direction. Violet shielded her eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the sudden brightness. Her eyes opened by a fraction of an inch, as she got used to the blinding light. She scanned the room around her. She raised her head at the towering plastic statue in front of her. Around her were several others, all in various poses. The dark seemed to magnify Violet's fear, made them seem alive. Now that she could see, they didn't seem too frightening.

She climbed up to her feet, fists clenched. Gritting her teeth, she shouted out to whoever was hiding behind the voice. "When I find out who you are…"

"You'll do what? Kill me?"

"Yes… I will…. I swear I will!" Violet swore, hardly knowing what she was saying.

"That's good, Violet. I'll be waiting for you."

Calm yourself, Violet, she told herself. Losing your cool won't get you anywhere. She took a few deep breaths, inhaling the stale air steadily. A door opened from one of the walls, sliding noiselessly to reveal a passageway. Violet dried the rest of the tears from her eyes and took a step towards the open door, the sound of her footsteps echoing throughout the room. Leaving the previous room behind her, she walked through the short tunnel and into the room beyond.

It was like walking into a control room of sorts. A large screen displayed images of her family members in action; some of her parents' early days as fledging Supers, then to their first mission as a family; them fighting Syndrome, the Underminer and a whole lot of other villains. She even saw herself, often just casting force fields or taking out thugs from behind whilst invisible.

Peeling her eyes from the screen, she looked around the room. In the centre of the room was a single armchair. Hesitating, Violet walked over to the armchair. She frowned, thinking of any possible traps from this seemingly innocuous chair. Oh whatever, she thought. If he had wanted to kill me, he had plenty of chances to do so.

She settled into her seat, hands planted firmly on the armrest, and raised her head towards the screen. The pictures of her family reminded her of why she had wanted to run away from home in the first place.

"Thinking of your family?"

"How did you…" Violet stopped mid-question. For a person powerful enough to engineer this set-up, being able to read minds was no big deal to him... or maybe it was a lucky guess… Violet couldn't care less.

"So haven't you wondered why they aren't looking for you?"

It didn't occur to Violet yet. Her Super-suit had a built-in tracking device. They would be able to find her with a click of a button… so why hasn't they?

"No need to ponder over it, I think the video speaks for itself."

"What? They're here too?" Violet cried as she turned her attention towards the images on screen, which Violet assumed were other rooms in the base. She gave a cry as she saw an unconscious Dash being dragged into an indoor racetrack. "Dash! Can you hear me?" Violet knew that it was futile; this was probably a pre-recorded footage.

Violet watched as Dash raced against a robot similar in build as him. The camera played the race in slow motion; Dash seemed to have lost by several milliseconds. Violet knew that Dash had too much pride in his powers to be able to handle a defeat such as this, especially when his opponent started taunting him. Through other short video clips, mixed with garbled screams and voice-overs, Violet could make out her mother and Dash in several other situations. She slammed her fist on the cushioned armrest and demanded, "Where's Jack-Jack?"

"See for yourself."

Jack-Jack was in a playpen, engrossed by a few of his toys. These guys may be mentally sick, Violet thought, but at least they left Jack-Jack alone.

"Yes, I admit it. I have a soft spot for young children, but rest assured that he will have his time… soon."

"What about my father?"

Violet's jaw dropped, her eyes widened at the scene that unfolded in front of her eyes. Her father was enjoying a candle-lit dinner with another woman. Though her back was facing the screen, she was unmistakable: Silvery-white hair, simple but elegant dress and slender arms… She was…

"Mirage?" Violet cried, gripping the armrest and feeling her nails penetrating the woven fibres. She thought Mirage was serving time in a woman's prison, far away from her life, but this video was a sledgehammer blow, shattering what was left of Violet.

Once their dinner was finished, they brought the dishes to a kitchen of sorts, returning several minutes later, Mr Incredible's beefy arm wrapped around Mirage's pencil-thin waist.

"Enough!" Violet roared, as the video cut off. There was a chuckle; Violet resisted the urge to smash up the screen in front of her. "What are you laughing at?"

"Don't you want to do something about this? How could he break your family apart? While your mother is suffering, he's enjoying himself… Right this wrong, Violet…"

"I want to… but I can't… He's my father…"

"Was he thinking about you when he did that?"

The question seemed to stir the dormant monster in Violet. She sprang up from her seat with alacrity as her boots almost dented the metallic floor. Adrenaline, now familiar to her, filled her bloodstream as she stormed off towards the newly opened exit. Inside her mind, wild fantasies of what she would do to her father spawned from her imagination. With a cold, emotionless whisper, she growled, "Whatever you're doing with me, make it quick. I want to get my hands on him…"

Violet stepped into the next room, eyes hung low, oblivious to her surroundings. Each footstep landed slowly; she only stopped when two elongated shapes came into view. Staring slightly quizzically for a minute, she realised that they were boots. Her head snapped back and she assumed combat stance. Staring back at her were blank eyes that were set on an expressionless face. Even more stunning was how it looked like her. Black spandex, yellow gloves and boots over a mannequin, not unlike that of Edna's when she made Violet's Super-suit.

Violet knew where she had seen it before: the villains who kidnapped her in the first place. Her eyes hovered over the logo; a stylised 'V' surrounded by a purplish pink sphere, which Violet recognised as her force field. 'V'… for Violet. This means that they wanted her to…

"Join us, Violet. We could do with a talented individual like you… You see what family can do to you… you're much better off with peers; siblings even, who understand you… I'd be glad to let off your family if you wish. Of course, what you want to do to your father lies in your hands…"

Violet reached out to touch the suit; it felt so much like hers. As her fingers ran down the suit, a single thought came to her mind.

Drastic times call for drastic measures… 

Trivia: In ancient Chinese legend, it's said that there are eighteen levels in Hell, and the eighteenth level was for offenders of the worst crimes, like murder, or offending the gods. Those put there had to relive their worst memories several times a day, suffer torture and were never to reincarnate (had to stay there forever, in other words). Of course, there were a select few who got out in the end…

I tried to design eighteen rooms for Violet to pass, but that would be ridiculous, having to go through all of them. So Dash and Elastigirl each had five rooms, one for Mr Incredible and another for Jack-Jack. That left six for Vi.


	7. Righteous Fury

Ultraviolet

Chapter 7

Righteous Fury

"Well, I'll give you some privacy to think about it."

Off-white panels rose from the floor several feet away, snapping in place and enclosing a square area of dimensions about three metres. A door popped open from one of its sides, revealing a sort of changing room, complete with a full-length mirror.

"Go ahead, step right in."

The Super-suit slid on some invisible mechanism into the changing room, as though beckoning for Violet to join it. She had half a mind to just run in and change into her new Super-suit, but the other half that pulled her back merely wanted to go home for a nice long rest. "But you no longer have a home for a nice long rest, Violet… Accept that," she thought bitterly. Her legs shuffled forward as though they had a will of their own, guiding her into the changing room. The door clicked shut automatically, sealing her from the rest of the world.

"Well Vi, it all comes down to this," she muttered to herself, taking a step towards the suit. She reached for her headband, usually the first part of the suit she removes, and pulled it away from her hair, as a mass of hair fell from its place; covering most parts of her face. Her fingers wrapped firmly around the smooth plastic, she questioned herself silently, "Are you ready for this, Violet?"

_Missiles were closing in on the plane. Violet knew that her powers were needed, but her force field just wasn't big enough to cover them. Time was running out… She thought it was all over…_

Almost involuntarily, as though seized by some unknown force of nature, her fingers released their hold on the headband; it spun for a second before falling flat to the ground.

_The force field rolled on, propelled forward by Dash's momentum. Slowing down momentarily as her parents were absorbed within the sphere, adding to the weight… The force field dissolved, the Incredibles were ready as the Velocipods circled around them… It was their first mission as a family…_

Her mind was set.

"No."

"No what?" Violet could sense a tinge of disappointment in his voice.

"I won't do it." She paused for a moment, as though letting the truth sink in, before continuing. "My family has faith in me."

"Well… if that's your choice…"

Gears whirled into motion under Violet's feet, causing the walls around her to sink back underground. She felt a smile spreading across her face as she willed herself to believe that she made the right choice. Anyway, she thought to herself, if you have an ounce of regret, you could always come back and…

A hole opened up under the suit, retracting the suit into the subterranean cavern below, lowering it out of sight using a metallic arm located under the suit. It wasn't the only thing going down, though. Her headband tipped over the edge of the hole, plunging into the compacted sand underneath.

Violet uttered a word she usually didn't dare use, upset that the headband, a part of her Super-suit, was now lost. In reflex, she tried to sweep her glossy black hair back, tucking them behind her ears for a second before they slid back over her eyes. She threw up her hands in exasperation. "Why won't they stay in one place?"

Resigned to her fate, she turned back and looked at the now-empty room, where her job offer once stood. She questioned her own judgement, thinking of how cool it must be to have no school and being able to develop their powers to their maximum potential. "Just don't regret it later, Vi."

The next exit slid open noisily, signalling for her to move to the next room. Her heels struck the floor in a rhythmic beat as she walked, almost absent-mindedly, towards the next room. You're of no use to them now, she thought as she detected in her surroundings.

Maybe they'll kill you instead.

She shook her head; sending tons of hair in every direction and making her hair look more tousled than it already was. Forget it, she thought, no point thinking about it… Violet stamped the ground in front of her, sending a pile of sand flying. Violet stopped in her tracks. Sand, in a place like this? The compacted sand under her feet stretched out for several thousand feet in each direction. Her eyes fell on lush green vegetation bordering the tan-coloured sand around her. It was Nomanisan, one of the nightmares she was trying to forget.

A Velocipod raced out the trees to her right, a confirmation to Violet's gut feelings. Within a flash she was invisible, taking one long look at the pilot as the Velocipod circled the area around her; it was merely a robot suited up like one of Syndrome's minions, its chrome covering reflecting light from whatever florescent light was replacing the sun above them. The blank eyes of the bionic pilot shone red as it searched the area where Violet was, but made no attempt to attack her. Its eyes were probably infrared radiation detectors, more than capable of tracking her down. In fact, it was staring right at her, so why isn't it attacking?

Maybe it was the time she had spent in this place, seemingly infecting her with some sort of strange logic. Deep within her head she realised the answer: Though it was well within his powers to create a robot to track her down, he just wanted a robot which was just like a human, creating a real simulation without sacrificing human specimens. With a triumphant smirk, Violet surveyed her surroundings, formulating a plan to take down the flying machine.

Unfortunately for her, this 'human' robot had a limit to its patience too. Pushing several buttons in quick succession, the Velocipod literally spun into action, blades flashing, as it charged towards where it last saw Violet. Violet's reflexes took over as she did a cartwheel to her right, sending copious amounts of sand in all directions.

Violet rolled to her feet, ending in a crouched position as the sand settled around her invisible body. She turned her head behind her, catching sight of the Velocipod as it whirled around the edge of the trees and roared towards her new position. Great, now it knows where I am, Violet thought as she rolled her eyes. She needed to take a chance. If it failed… she didn't want to think what would happen if it failed. Her eyes focused on the Velocipod roaring towards her, its blades eager to rip through her body. Violet's eyes narrowed as she timed herself. Five… four… three… two…

"NOW!" She shouted as she cast a force field over herself, closing her eyes and praying silently for her safely. There was a slight crunching sound as the edge of the Velocipod come into contact with Violet's force field, followed by a loud screech of fast-moving metal against sand which came to a halt seconds later. It was only then Violet dared to open her eyes to look at the carnage behind her. The Velocipod lay with the open cockpit facing down, tilted slightly to the side, spewing out black smoke from its exposed underside.

"I… I did that? All by myself?" Violet wondered aloud as her eyes dilated in pure bewilderment as she stared at the crashed Velocipod. It was something that Violet could never expect to defeat alone… yet there it lay destroyed in front of her. A strange sense of achievement washed over her, having accomplished what she thought was impossible. "So it was inside you all along," she whispered to herself. Violet strode towards the wrecked Velocipod, as awe was quickly replaced with exultance.

Violet glanced down at a piece of debris as her feet; it was the head of the robot pilot, its expressionless eyes drilling holes deep into Violet. "Oh my…" Violet murmured as she backed away, her hands covering her mouth in shock. She would have killed another human being if this had been a real fight. "You could have killed a human being just now. It doesn't make it right just because it wasn't a real human." The last vestiges of any positive feelings died off.

A flash of black streaked past Violet, interrupting her thoughts. Violet could see fingers wrapped round the mechanical head, pulling it up from the sand. Without warning, it retracted back to its owner, causing Violet to roll to her right. She knew, in an instant, the only person capable of doing that. "Mom!" She shouted as she whirled around.

Facing her was someone that was looked so much like her mother, and yet was different in a million ways. It was another robot, clad in her mother's Super-suit. Her face consisted of chrome plates shaped exactly like her mother; a bright red flare embedded in a black sphere for eyes and the same auburn hair. Its hand whipped back, still clutching the head of its brethren, before swinging it back around and releasing it towards Violet. It covered the few hundred metres between them in a matter of seconds.

Violet managed a force field around her in the last possible second, holding her hands out front in reflex as the projectile closed in on her. She stifled the urge to scream, praying that her force field could withstand the impact.

It was maybe three inches from hitting her before a blaze of red intercepted it in mid-air. Violet could only catch its trail as it came to a halt beside the robotic Elastigirl, pausing to strike a pose for dramatic effect.

"Dash?"

"Heads up, Vi!" The mechanical voice was too squeaky for Dash, but Violet heeded the advice anyway, as her instinct took over, compelling her to jump to her right and casting a semi-spherical force field over her body. A tree crashed onto the spot where she was standing a moment ago. It didn't take long for Violet to figure out who did it. "Dad…"

The trio stood several metres away, getting into their combat positions, as though taunting Violet to attack them. For a moment, Violet considered doing just that, to get them back for mocking her family members' powers. After all, they're just robots with their powers… Violet's thought trailed off as she caught sight of the decapitated robot still in the cockpit of the Velocipod. Do I have to do that to them too?

"You have to, Violet. It's the only way you're getting out of here. After all, they're just robots…" Violet muttered to herself, having no one else to speak to. The only question was how to fight off her whole family…

They moved into position, circling around Violet, attempting to surround her.

Violet called out to them, trailing their movements with her eyes as they went. "I _will_ defeat you if I have to."

Trivia: I really flipped a coin to decide if Violet would turn to the Specialists'… and no, the results weren't fake. I wanted to write an alternate to this, titled 'Dark Fury', which may be done and attached to the back of this story.

The headband thing, though insignificant, represented the darker side of Violet unleashed. She'll be in control of her feelings after she gets back her headband.


	8. Natural Born Killer

Ultraviolet

Chapter 8

Natural Born Killer

_Analyse the situation before deciding on your next move. Study their weaknesses. Use the environment around you to complement your powers._

Her father had taught her that during one of their night patrols, yet her father… was the man who had betrayed her family, especially her mother. She winced, amazed at how rebellious that sounded. Mom would have forced her to do some serious self-reflection if she ever caught her saying that. Snapping out of her thoughts, Violet turned her attention to more serious matters.

Her eyes locked with Dash's. Violet knew that he was reckless, given his speed and his knack for getting into trouble. He'd use his legs first before using his brains to solve most problems. He would probably attack first.

Next was Elastigirl. With her powers, she was likely to attack at a range, using her long limbs to steal attacks from all directions, from where she least expected it. However, she'd be less effective up close.

Mr Incredible was the advocate of using brute force to eliminate obstacles. Violet knew that she couldn't withstand a blow from him outright, maybe she could outsmart her father and somehow use his size against him.

In typical Dash fashion, he broke away from the formation, charging straight towards Violet. She had expected it, casting a force field around herself before Dash could reach her. With its superior reaction speed, the robot swerved around the edge of the force field, circling around Violet, waiting for her to let her force field down.

It was a test of endurance for both Violet and Dash. Violet's eyes focused on a single spot, watching the red streak pass her every second, even as the force field sapped her strength. She needed a plan, anything that could at least slow down the robot.

The swirling red in front of her gave her an idea. Taking a deep breath, she gathered the last of her energy for a single force field. Concentrating on a single thought, she counted off the seconds for her final attack.

Five… Four… Three… Two… 

The force field surrounded Dash, trapping it inside the sphere. Violet held on as Dash made contact with the smooth walls of the force fields, carried forward by momentum. Its sheer speed was unstoppable, even as its metallic frame brushed against the insides of the force field. Its lightning-fast limbs stirred up tons of sand as it struggled to slow down. Violet could catch glimpses of the robot under the flurry of sand; it circled around the inner edge of the force field, tumbling head over heels before coming to a halt.

The mechanical hum faded under the force field and the sand settled back to the ground. Taking it as a sign that Dash was down, Violet inched closer to the force field, not daring to release the force field even as she noticed a mound of sand roughly Dash's size on the ground.

The last specks of dust fell into place, as Violet took a step forward hesitantly. She won't be surprised if it sneaked an attacked her, but she did bring down the speeding robot and that brought about a sense of victory.

She knelt down beside the quaking pile of sand, ignoring the weird clicking sounds coming from it. Taking just a second to prepare herself, she swept off most of the sand in front of her. Each passing moment left her heart pumping faster.

"Dash…" She murmured as she stared at the supine body in front of her. Now resembling a flailing cockroach, Dash's limbs jerked, in slow motion, matched with the clicking sounds Violet heard earlier. "Mechanical limbs," Violet smirked, "don't mix with sand." Whatever was holding this robot together was probably clogged with sand, impeding its movement.

Violet had been so relieved she nearly didn't notice a large shadow hovering over her. Within a split second she leapt out of its way, turning invisible as she went. Sheer strength, capable of crushing her body, smashed down on Dash's robotic form with a bang, barely missing Violet's legs. It climbed to its feet, dragging its fists away from the molten slag. It was the robotic replica of Mr Incredible, complete with potbelly and cropped short hair.

Violet maintained her invisibility while getting up, careful not to make any sudden movements. She had no idea how to take down someone with such strength. She backed away one step at a time, with a nagging feeling that she had forgotten something.

That something happened to brush along her back, attempting to feel for its target. Violet's head snapped back in time to see it retracting slightly. The long black glove, emboldened by its success, whipped forward with its fingers outstretched in an attempt to grab Violet. There was no time for Violet to react. The fingers wrapped around Violet's neck, not too tightly as to suffocate her, but tight enough to make her start gasping for breath. The elongated arm started to pull back, dragging Violet along with it. Violet could feel her boots heating up from the friction, thankfully the thick soles were hardy, or she'd have to deal with her boots as well as these irritating robots.

Right now, Violet had more to worry about than the soles of her boots; the moment she came to a halt Elastigirl wrapped both her hands around her neck, squeezing down on her throat. Violet could feel the life literally choked out of her, even as she resisted the fingers with her own. She could feel her willpower weakening. So this is how it all ends… she thought, feeling numbness spreading from the tips of her limbs to her body, as her vision faded.

No! This is not how I want it to end! 

Violet's vision cleared; there was a final surge of strength through her entire body. In front of her was the lunging bulk that was Mr Incredible, perhaps four feet away, with its fist raised to deliver the fatal blow. Violet pushed hard to maintain a tiny space for her to breathe. At the same time, she threw herself forward, swinging Elastigirl behind her.

The crunch that followed was massive, as Violet felt a shadow swoop above her, followed by a thud. The arms that were strangling her fell limp by her side, sending sprays of sparks raining down beside her. Gulping for breath, Violet's attention was drawn to the smouldering pile of steel that had landed several feet away, minus its arms. Also visible to Violet was a hole the size of a cinder block in the slender robot's back.

Violet took several seconds to regain her breath, simultaneously realising that Mr Incredible had not attacked her, although her back was so vulnerable. She whipped her body around, arms up and ready with a force field, but Mr Incredible no longer had its sights on her.

The robot punched the air around it, dodging an invisible fist and delivering a blow to an unseen opponent. Turning to its right, it blocked the nothingness beside it and gave a series of punches to where a grown man's torso and head would be. Violet noticed the red flares in its pupils were gone, its eyes were just black.

"The fist it drove through the previous robot… must have caused a short-circuit in some vital chips in its system!" Violet realised, climbing to her feet and cheering silently. She had survived! The feeling that washed over her was inexplicable; joy mixed with leftover fear from the intense battle. Within the short span of less than fifteen minutes, she was nearly killed more times than she could count. She laughed; a carefree sound, much needed to relieve the tension built up in her. Now all that's lacking was a trip home and about twenty days in bed.

Beyond the jungle foliage in front of her lay the exit to the next room. All she had to do was to wait for it to open. She circled around the malfunctioning robot of Mr Incredible, keeping both eyes on it. She didn't expect it to just stop moving without giving a fight, but immediately chided herself for having such negative thoughts.

A tiny voice quipped from the robot's mouth, barely audible to Violet, yet she caught every word. "System repairs complete. Switching to backup logic chips." Immediately the robot stopped its wild punching. Jerkily at first, it jerked its head around before catching sight of Violet.

"Oh great," Violet muttered, backing away from Mr Incredible and into something solid. Glancing around, she realised that it was the crashed Velocipod, forgotten in the heat of the battle. Scrambling back, she turned invisible and ducked behind the machine, heart pounding and mind racing to think of any other crazy ideas. Behind her, the robot continued its slow pace, lumbering awkwardly with its arms locked stiff by its sides.

She had just one idea. Rushing to the cockpit, she fumbled to unbuckle the safety belt from the pilot, eventually managing to pull the headless body from its seat. That was when she realised the first problem: The way the Velocipod had crashed had caused it to be balanced precariously on one of the blades, causing the cockpit to be facing downwards. In order to operate the thing, she had to be upside-down.

She stuck her feet into the cockpit, using her hands to push herself until she was seated, albeit upside-down. Feeling blood rush into her head, Violet stared blankly at the controls in front of her. There was a wide array of buttons, visual displays and levers sprawled on the control panel. "C'mon Violet, which button?" She whispered to herself, getting increasingly worried. Strong fingers gripped the Velocipod on the bladed region, threatening to toss the massive disc aside, with Violet still in it.

Violet was desperate enough to start jamming both hands on whatever buttons were in front of her. The Velocipod revved into action, blades spinning as the sharp blades ripped through metal. At the same time, the ejector seat was activated, shooting out of the cockpit and sending Violet far away from the wildly spinning Velocipod. The built-in parachute blanketed the sky, covering Violet as the seat came to a halt. With her vision blocked, the explosions were the only clue as to what happened to both machines.

Violet threw the parachute off her, scrambling to her feet to inspect the aftermath of her actions. The Velocipod had no mercy on the robot. Its blades had sliced through it, sending contorted parts flying to areas several metres away, before exploding against one of the walls.

"Dad…" She uttered, inspecting the debris around her, before stopping herself. That's not your Dad, Vi… she thought.

Violet picked herself up, eyes turned towards the door. All the robots were destroyed, surely she was allowed to proceed…

"There's still me… or rather… you." The voice was so much like her own, yet Violet knew exactly who it was.

Violet had been both dreading and anticipating it for a while, as she turned towards the source of the voice. It stood about a hundred metres away, almost a mirror image of Violet, but its metallic face was way different from Violet's. Its suit, too, was different. In fact, it was…

"The very suit you rejected. And I'm here to show you the power you were denied!"

Violet got a fleeting glimpse of the yellow-and-black suit before it disappeared. She followed suit, using her invisibility while scanning the area fruitlessly for her opponent, or any signs of movement.

"It's useless," it taunted, its voice getting nearer.

Violet's head snapped in the direction of the voice, backing away as she scanned the area around her. "I know you can't see me either," she called out.

"Can't I?" The voice was right behind her. Violet reacted by lashing her fist behind her, but hit only air. A kick to Violet's back sent her to the ground. Invisible hands grabbed her by her neck, barely lifting her upper body off the ground. It's not that strong, Violet thought as she lunged forward with a balled up fist, connecting with metal and sending it reeling back. This gave her enough time to stand up and deliver a kick to its metallic gut, followed by a punch to where its eyes would be. In reflex, it grabbed Violet and both fell to the ground, wildly swinging their arms in hope of hitting their opponent.

By the time they got up to their feet, Violet had lost track of her opponent. "And I thought the suit had some hidden powers, when it's just a regular one," she goaded, trying to stir up its emotion, make it reveal its position by accident.

"Oh yeah? How about this…"

Water spurted out from the ceiling, falling in fine droplets and covering the entire room. Violet realised that her opponent was now visibly outlined by the water deflected off its body. It was jerking its head around nervously, an obvious sign that it wasn't expecting this too.

The initial surprise faded; the robot scanned the room, calling out to Violet. "Well, it just means we can't use our invisibility." Turning towards the shimmering image that was Violet, it continued. "Let's continue."

Both of them appeared, conserving the energy that would be needed to stay invisible. The shower of water from above gravely affected Violet's visibility, forcing her to brush away any water droplets over her eyes. She wasn't sure if her opponent had the same problem; robots didn't have eyelids, water would slide off its face instantly.

This time, it was Violet who took the initiative for an attack, charging towards her opponent while sending mud splattering onto her knee-high boots. Her kick was blocked, instantly it responded with a series of punches, forcing Violet to cast a force field to protect herself. The robot circled around the force field, waiting for Violet to let down her guard.

"Let's see how long you can sustain that force field."

Violet dropped the force field, rolling to the side immediately to avoid its lunging kick. "You're fast," Violet called out, straightening up into a defensive posture.

"Only as fast as you are, Violet," it replied. "I'm just a copy of you. Whatever you can do, I can do too, and vice versa."

"Look, how can either of us win the other? We're equally matched in every way…"

"Just shut up and fight!" The robot blared; jabbing its fists at Violet only to have them blocked.

Violet responded with a kick, smashing her toes straight into her opponent's force field. Fighting herself was surreal; overpowering it was impossible. Recovering, Violet followed what her opponent had done earlier, circling around the spherical barrier. Violet knew that the force fields expended energy at an enormous rate. It'll let up within seconds.

Sure enough, the force field faded, but Violet had already lifted her leg up. It struck its target, sending the robot flying face-first to the ground. Violet took the chance to pounce on it, keeping it down in the mud. Its ceaseless struggle shook Violet, constantly threatening to throw her off, but she knew that it wouldn't be able to. Tiny electrical sparks emerged over the exposed neck of the robot.

Wait a minute… that can't be good… Violet thought, as a mild jolt of electricity coursed through her body. With a yelp Violet released her grip, jumping clear off the robot. It got up, turning to face Violet.

"Merely some built-in close-range defence, just one of the features…"

Violet stared as the robot stopped dead. The red flare faded from its eyes and its arms was hanging loosely by its side. Violet stood waiting for something, anything to happen, to give her a clue to what was happening.

"Playing dead?"

"No. It just ran out of energy." The voice of her captor boomed through invisible speakers, the only human she had spoken to all this while. "Count yourself lucky."

Violet smirked, unable to resist a chance to mock her captor. "What? Your little toy ran out of batteries? How lucky is that? It just saved me the time to destroy it myself…"

"Yeah, right, Violet. Look around you. That could have been your family you just destroyed. Weak little Violet killed her family…"

"Shut up!" Violet yelled to the ceiling, as water continued to rain down on her.

"We both hit a raw nerve there, didn't we?" Violet remained silent, as she surveyed the carnage around her. "Why don't you just move on and we can forget about this."

Forget this… Violet voiced out inside her head. No, I can't just forget this.

The water stopped, leaving Violet feeling more uncomfortable than ever. At the same time, the exit to the next room slid open beyond the thick jungle foliage ahead, shadowed by trees.

Each step sent mud splashing all over as Violet trudged past the immobile robot replica of herself, her eyes transfixed on it. She paused when she passed it, reaching out for its head and removing its headband.

"Just borrowing it for a moment…" Her voice trailed off as she slipped the yellow hair band in place, tucking her hair behind her ears.

She continued till the destruction was far behind her, escaping into the cooler climate under the trees. After an uneventful trek through the mini jungle, she reached the exit. Continuing into the tunnel connecting to the next room, she caught sight of towels hanging on the handrails beside the door.

"Wipe your boots clean," the voice commanded, as Violet grabbed a towel. As she bent down, it continued. "And dry yourself. Don't catch a cold, Violet. We still need you."

After all they did? After the numerous attempts to murder her? They still needed her? Violet remained silent, choosing to concentrate on getting dry. As soon as the towel was replaced upon the handrail, the door slid open.

The end is near, Violet… 

Violet's footsteps echoed throughout the room as she treaded past rows of blank security monitors, panels crammed with buttons, a dozen workstations complete with piles of dossiers and a giant meeting table. The single swivel chair at the end of the table turned slowly to face Violet.

"Welcome, Violet, to the 18th level."

"It's you," Violet's fists curled up, her grip tightening as she imagined punching the person in front of her.

It was Mirage.

Trivia: Many interesting things about this chapter… First, it's the least read chapter among the first ten chapters.

Second, I didn't think Violet could take out all three Incredibles by herself, so if you'd read back, none of them were 'killed' by Vi herself. (Robotic Dash stopped due to sand clogging his gears, Elastigirl was taken out by Mr incredible, and the Velocipod took out Mr Incredible.) Now you know why it was there in the first place. Robotic Violet vs. Violet… Again, no way she can beat herself, given it was an exact replica. The energy thing was the only way she can walk away, and it showed a weakness in the Specialists' planning.

Last… the Mirage thing… One of the initial ideas I had for a 'finale' was to pit Violet against another female… not Kari, by the way. So Mirage was the perfect candidate. It also showed the Specialists' ruthless manipulation of anyone to achieve their goals.

So who's the 'Natural Born Killer'? I'm not sure myself. I don't want it to be Violet, but there doesn't seem to be a choice…


	9. Puppets Controlling Puppets

Ultraviolet

Chapter 9

Puppets Controlling Puppets

Mirage stood up, heels tapping against the floor as she sauntered towards Violet. The weary but stern glare of Violet was met with a nonchalant gaze from Mirage.

"So you were behind this all along," Violet said through gritted teeth.

"Unexpected? You seemed quite mad after watching your father and I together… Surely you'll want revenge," She sneered, very unlike the demure Mirage that was Violet's initial impression of her back on Nomanisan. "What was that part, about you swearing to kill me?" Behind her, hidden speakers converted her voice to the booming one Violet was familiar with. There was no doubt that Mirage was indeed behind this scheme. Pulling a minuscule microphone from her halter dress, she tossed it aside to some dark corner of the room.

A thousand questions formed up in Violet's mind; each of them seemed more important than the last. In addition, deep inside her was the accumulating rage, like a fire, and Mirage was constantly stoking it, until it goes out of control and engulfs them both.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Violet cried out, venting her growing anger on Mirage.

"Unfortunately, girl, I have no time for questions. You have one last chance. Join us, or I'll be forced to kill you."

"You've done enough to try to kill me, yet here I am," Violet muttered in a low voice. "You really shouldn't have done all that. I'm much stronger than before, after all the training you gave me. What are you going to do, call up your army? If you want to, take on me by yourself, Mirage."

"Oh, I'm more than a match for you, trust me." Bending down, she pulled out her high heels, tossing them aside.

She's really going to fight me… in that… Violet thought, glancing at the skirt she was wearing. Well, at least she took off the heels…

"You really shouldn't have put me through all that," Violet warned, unsure of what to expect from the seemingly weak Mirage. "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. I'm much more powerful than when I was brought here."

"So the training was effective," Mirage said almost distractedly, giving a bemused smile. "We're making you worthy to become part of our team." Noticing Violet's blank expression, Mirage continued. "The Specialists, elite Supers. You should be honoured that they want you on the team."

"And just how are you related to them?" Violet questioned, hoping that at least one of her queries was answered.

"None of your business, Violet," she replied, taking a couple of steps forward. Then, taking Violet by surprise, her heel shot up, striking Violet in the chest. The blow sent her stumbling back, causing her to lose her balance in the process and falling down on her side. A sharp pain shot up her right ankle as her entire body weight fell upon it.

Violet nursed her hurting ankle for a moment, determined to endure through the pain. She picked herself up, looking around before realising that Mirage was gone. "Where'd you go, you coward?" Violet taunted in frustration, "Invisibility is my forte, not yours."

"Well, I'm not exactly invisible," her voice echoing around Violet. "It's just that mirages can make you perceive the world… differently." As she said that, she noticed a shadow move to her right, near to the desk where Mirage was first seated. Without hesitation, she aimed a high kick straight towards where Mirage's head should be.

There was a massive crash as Violet's leg slammed full force into a swivel chair. Her momentum carried her through, sending her to the floor again. As she looked, the faint image of Mirage faded, it was merely an illusion.

Violet got up again, feeling stupid for falling to the same trick which she had been warned of. She hobbled forward for a few steps, carefully treading when using her injured ankle. She strained her ears for the slightest sound, or any indicator on Mirage's position. The still air would have made it easier for her to hear movements. Noticing another room, connected to this one by a tiny archway, Violet took cautious steps towards it.

"When I find you, Mirage…"

"You're not looking hard enough." The interruption came from behind, followed by Mirage's hands pushing Violet into a sort of lounge-like room, complete with sofa and coffee-making machine. As soon as Violet recovered, she spun around to find Mirage gone.

This lounge was smaller than the control room before; in fact it seemed rather cramped. Any one of the things around her could be Mirage in disguise. Scanning her eyes around the room, her eyes fell on a row of potted plants around the entrance, leaves swaying slightly.

In a breezeless room? Nice try, Mirage, Violet thought with a sneer. She pretended to investigate the sofa nearest to the 'plants', her back turned against the illusion. Pausing, she bent down, her eyes glancing back shiftily to estimate Mirage's position.

There was a cry of pain from behind as Violet's leg swept across at waist level; Mirage had doubled over, clutching her stomach. In an instant, Violet was over Mirage, one knee over her struggling arm. Grabbing her other flailing arm with her hands, she twisted Mirage's palm inward while exerting pressure on her elbow, a trick she had learnt in unarmed combat lessons.

"Stop it, or I'll break your arm," Violet warned, menace littered all over her threat. Gradually the struggling slowed, with an occasional attempt to shake off Violet. Violet pushed harder, relishing the soft scream issuing from Mirage's mouth, until the struggling ceased.

"What… do you want," Mirage breathed, as Violet softened her grip on Mirage.

"I could be asking you the same question. What do you want with me, asking me to join your stupid team?" Violet raised her voice slightly, temper starting to flare up.

"Your powers are… shall I say… a worthy addition to our team."

"And what do you intend to do once I've joined your little team?"

"A war… pitting supers against supers…"

"So what does Syndrome have to do with this? Is he behind everything?" Violet demanded, eager to find out the truth once and for all.

"For the last time, Syndrome has been missing since… well… when he…" Mirage's voice trailed off.

Without pressing further, Violet pulled Mirage off the floor, keeping Mirage's arm in a hammerlock. "Last two tasks before I send you to jail, Mirage. Aren't you excited?" Violet jeered with contempt, pushing her out towards the control room outside. "First, let my family go. Second, get us out of this rotting place you call a 'base'."

"Yes, Violet," Mirage replied, her voice full of servility. She walked at snails pace to the main control area, followed closely by Violet. "If you don't mind, I need both hands to operate this."

Violet released her hold on Mirage's arms, watching her every movement as she fingered her wrist to regain some blood circulation. Her fingers hovered over the touch pad, ignoring a flashing, red 'Urgent' message on her rightmost screen.

"Well, go on," Violet urged, mildly enjoying lording over Mirage.

"Actually," Mirage paused with a sigh, "I'll rather do… this!"

Violet hadn't ruled out this cheap trick. The force field was an inch from her face as Mirage's fist smashed into the barrier. Letting down the force field, Violet thrust her knee forward, forcing Mirage down to her knees while pressing Mirage's face down against the controls. On the main screen, tiny details like room temperature and soldier's rations were fast being modified as Violet held down Mirage's arms over her own head. Mirage, squirming in the uncomfortable position, tried futilely to squirm her way from Violet's grip.

With her left hand, she reached over and tapped on the touch pad Mirage had her hands over. Instead of bringing up any information on her parents, the 'Urgent' message played out on its screen. It was a security report, made hastily by a soldier reporting a breach in the prison block, before fast hands knocked him out cold, rendering the screen blank. Gazing at the screen, Violet learned that it happened about ten minutes ago, long after her brief tussle with Mirage. The message was of no significance to her, unless...

Twin doors, initially obscured by the darkness, burst open to her left. Silhouetted by the light beyond those doors were the very people Violet was trying to save. "Mom! Dash! Jack-Jack! Dad…" Violet's voice softened as she called out for her father. Reassured by their appearance, she tightened her hold on Mirage, sending a new wave of resistance through the captured woman.

"Violet, no!" Her father shouted out, rushing forward while beckoning for the family to follow. "Let her go now!"

"Well, that's what you'll want, I suppose, so that you two can continue your… your affair!" She blurted out, turning to face her parents. Her mother turned, first to her husband, then to Violet, mouth wide open in disbelieve. Etched in the back of her mind, Violet could imagine her parents gazing at the red flares in her eyes…

There was a surge of power through Violet as she cast a large force field, covering the control panel area, blocking off her parents. She continued to stare at them as the family reached the edge of the force field, calling for her to let them in. Their persistent pounding did nothing to change her actions. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Dash, standing a little way apart from their father, slowly processing what he had heard for the past minute. Meanwhile, Jack-Jack was playing with his mother's hair, oblivious to the tension permeating the entire room.

"Listen to us for now, Vi, and let Mirage go. I'm sure we can work this out…" Her mother's muffled plea sent another wave of emotion through Violet.

"Mom! Dad's been having an affair with this woman and you want me to let her go?" Her lips trembled as she felt tears roll down her cheeks.

"I'm sure we can settle our domestic matters at home," she said to placate Violet, eyeing Mr Incredible before continuing. "I can understand what…"

Violet cut her off before she could finish. "Understand what I'm going through? You'll never understand what I had to do…"

By now, tears were flowing freely down Violet's face, accompanied by an occasional sob. Reaching out with her hands, she brushed off the tears gathering in her eyes. The inert alarm in her mind was jarring in her head; something was amiss, but she couldn't care less.

Mirage pushed Violet off her, given the much-needed freedom. Scrambling to her feet, grinning like a maniac, she raised her hands defensively. "Sorry, girl, but I intend to leave this place alive." Pausing for dramatic effect, she whispered, "You're in the way."

Even as she said that, another Mirage shimmered beside herself, materialising and running up to the edge of the force field, silently imploring Mr Incredible to save her. Behind the force field, Violet could see her father mouthing, "I'm trying my best, hang on for a moment…"

Violet didn't even realise it when her heel sent Mirage reeling into controls. Her hands gripped Mirage's silvery-white hair, lifting her head clean off the table surface before smashing it down, followed closely by an elbow to the side of her head. Mirage's arms hung limp; her body slumped to the floor, as she lay motionless, dead, or merely unconscious. Violet ignored it, releasing the force field around the controls as footsteps thundered around her. The faint illusion of Mirage faded as Mr Incredible passed through it.

Violet stood, expressionless, as her family came up to her. As shocking as it was expected, Mr Incredible bent over the fallen body of Mirage, checking for any signs of life from her body. Violet was immune to that by now. Her expression, or lack of expression, remained as her mother tugged at her father's suit. Mr Incredible looked up, mouthing the words 'She's alive', before realising Violet was looking and scrambling to his feet hurriedly. Violet vaguely felt it as Elastigirl's arms stretched forward, pulling the whole family together in a family hug.

As soon as they had embraced for a fleeting moment, Violet pulled away, muttering audibly, "Get away from me."

"What's wrong, Violet? Something you want to share with us?" Her mother asked in concern.

"I thought you understood how I felt, Mom," Violet mocked, staring in the opposite direction. "Don't you know that I need to be alone for a while?"

Her mother stood, shocked, as though her daughter had slapped her. She was halfway about to dare her to say it again, before she caught herself.

"Aww, that's so unlike little, obedient Violet." The voice… she had long forgotten what it sounded like, her only companion through this journey, yet her sole enemy along the way too.

"Aren't you just, like, Mirage's voice, modified?" Violet answered, all too used to this. Meanwhile, the rest of her family looked around, searching for the source of the voice.

"On the contrary, I'm real… and alive."

Violet felt something on her leg. Glancing down, she saw Dash nudging her, fear apparent in his eyes. Fingers shaking, Dash pointed at the main screen of the control panel, holding his breath while waiting for Violet to turn.

Violet stepped towards the screen, barely making out the details in the image before her. It was evidently a very dark room, like some kind of corporate office at night. Seated was a man, exuding an evil aura Violet thought was only possible in comic books or cartoons. Behind him were four other people, which Violet reckoned were 'the Specialists' Mirage had referred to.

"So how did you like the introduction programme we prepared for you? Exciting? Can't wait to join our team?"

"Far from it. You'll have to think of something better before I join your miserable group of losers."

'Reduced to insulting us, now," the man sneered. "Trust me, Mrs Parr, she didn't use to be like this. Perhaps it was some… negative influence…"

As he stopped, the security screen on the right faded, replaced with a bird's eye view of Violet's earlier action. Violet hung her head low as everyone else, with the exception of Jack-Jack, focused on that screen.

Before long, Violet couldn't resist not looking. Lifting her head, she saw herself close up.

"_You'll do what? Kill me?"_

"_Yes… I will…. I swear I will!"_

The screen next focused on her in a different scene, before she faced the four robots.

"_I _will_ defeat you if I have to."_

The video clip moved on, highlighting certain words or lines, but never showing what was happening.

"…_It just saved me the time to destroy it myself…"_

"_Where'd you go, you coward?"_

"_Stop it, or I'll break your arm."_

Each of the lines was accompanied with the murderous look in Violet's face when she said those words. Violet turned back to look at her parents, as though daring them to ask her if she had really said those words.

"You see, Mr and Mrs Parr, if your opinion of your daughter had changed because of this… educational video, we'll be glad to take her in, teach her some new skills…"

"You're not doing anything to my daughter!" Elastigirl burst out in fury, elongated hands reaching for the screen, attempting to pull it out of the socket.

"Just leave her alone, you son of a…" Mr Incredible shouted at the same time as his wife. Together, they seemed to have silenced the taunting voice behind the screen.

"Mom, Dad… Please… stop." The soft voice of Violet pierced the silence, instantly grabbing the attention of her parents. Elastigirl released her hold on the screen and Mr Incredible stopped his utterance of profanity in time.

"Yes, thank you, dear Violet. I can see where you get the temper, though." Chuckling, the man continued, "I guess we'll have to use that old back-up. What do you think, guys?" He had posed the question to the Specialists beside him, but none of them moved. "Alright, Incredibles. I'll set you a deal. You're free to go. My soldiers will clear a path for you, you'll have private transportation back to the mainland."

"And in return?" Violet asked, seemingly the only person who dared to speak to him normally.

"No strings attached… OK, maybe just one. Visit Mirage in jail, Violet. Alone. And Mr Incredible, trust that you can have Mirage back after her sentence… Only joking, Violet… Stop glaring at me… I can't guarantee anything though…" At the sound of her name, Mirage started to stir.

"Why get Mirage involved in this?" Mr Incredible asked, before catching Violet's eye and turning away, embarrassed.

To his surprise, Violet turned back to the screen. "Answer," she commanded.

"She was the only one who could stir up enough emotions to… unleash… your hidden potential and righteous fury. It took a whole lot to convince her, especially with the neural implant and stuff."

"Puppets… controlling… puppets," Mirage managed to mutter before she lost consciousness again.

"Yes, interesting analogy, Mirage. We gave her the chance to control you…" The voice trailed off, as though expecting Violet to continue.

"…And in turn you controlled her. Through this neural implant thing." Things were starting to sink in. It was cruel… evil… maybe even inhumane… to force Mirage through all that just to get at Violet. These guys were the ultimate masterminds behind the whole plot… Bloodhound, the kidnapping… It also explained Mirage's weird behaviour, especially whenever she referred to herself as 'we'.

"I guess we'll see you around, Vi. Any last words, 'I'll miss you' messages?" The laugh that followed stretched on for several seconds before the transmission ceased. Behind her, Violet knew that the entire family was staring at her.

"Don't… ask me anything for now," Violet requested softly, and without looking back, led the way to the newly opened exit.

The parts that happened next were pretty fuzzy in Violet's memory. All she remembered was a submarine on autopilot, their car waiting for them on the mainland, the short drive back home, her storming past the wrecked living room, up the stairs and into her room, locking herself up and dropping straight into bed, covers pulled up. All this while, the rest of the family watched solemnly, including Jack-Jack, as they saw Violet for the last time in several weeks to come.

The Incredibles may have returned safe and unharmed, but they won't consider it as a victory. In fact, they had suffered one of their biggest losses ever.

Trivia: Chapters eight, nine and ten was labelled the 'Big Three' by me, as each chapter took up more than three thousand words each, which was about half the story then, or a quarter of the main story now.

The ending was a build-up to chapter 10, or Violet's solitary confinement. In a way, it represented my personal retreat of three months, to reconsider the story. Read on to find out Violet's change after her long rest.


	10. Respite to Intermission

Ultraviolet

Chapter 10

Respite to Intermission

Helen bent down, placing the tray of warm chicken soup in front of Violet's room, like she had been doing for a few weeks now. Sighing, she tapped lightly on the door, staying for a second before heading downstairs. The experience Violet had gone through must be terrible for her to cut herself off from the outside world for more than a month. What had she been doing during this period of time had been a mystery for Helen, neither did she wish to probe further. For the millionth time, she wondered if her daughter would ever come out of that room.

She paused by Jack-Jack's cot, smiling down at the sleeping child. The child was in his afternoon nap, sucking on his thumb. Helen pulled his tiny quilt over his body, whispering softly, "I'm sorry for putting you through all that, Jack-Jack. Maybe..." Helen paused, smile fading. "Maybe you'll be able to protect us next time, once you discover your powers…"

Helen's attention was drawn to the dining room, towards the slurping sounds from the dining table. At least Dash was there to enjoy her pasta lunch. He seemed to be unaffected by their kidnapping, not like Helen had talked to him about it. Helen felt that, like Violet, perhaps it would be best not to stir up bad memories. Or maybe it was because of his age and gender, allowing him to treat that day in captive as 'just a big adventure'?

Helen sighed again, wondering if she'll ever figure out her children's secrets. It's an essential part of motherhood, Helen, learn to deal with it, she thought as she settled down in the new sofa. They had been able to fix up most of the damage done by Bloodhound and their kidnappers, finishing the job in the most low-profile manner so as to prevent suspicion from neighbours.

Outside, Helen could see Bob's car turn into the newly shovelled driveway. Snow pile-ups in the driveway was inevitable in this period of time, shovelled out of the way along with the masses of snow on the sidewalk. Moments later, the door swung wide open, as Bob stepped into the room, hanging up his cap and coat.

"Helen…" Bob started, averting the stern gaze from his wife. Up till now, any discussion on their marriage matters often ended up in abrupt ends; the only consensus reached was that there will be no divorce, and that everything will be resolved eventually.

"So where did you go… Bob?" Helen asked, hesitating on the last word.

"I… er… went to the state prison. To see Mirage," Bob blurted out. Helen was surprised with Bob's honesty, maybe he was tired of hiding his actions from now on. Her expression softened, leaving Bob sighing in relief.

"I was expecting you to go see her for a while. So it's all over?"

"Yes… yes it is… but I hope you'd at least let me keep her as a friend. A good friend, and nothing more. I swear…" Bob's solemn expression was broken up by Helen's soft chuckle.

"It's enough, Bob. I trust you," Helen whispered as she pulled herself close to Bob, hugging her. They let go after several seconds, after realising that Dash was staring at them, having finished his meal.

Helen straightened her clothes, her voice half-serious as she commanded Dash to return to his room. Pulling herself back from Bob, the couple settled in the sofa, stuck for a moment of awkward silence.

"How long… will she be there?" Helen asked, trying to make conversation, even if it was on another awkward topic.

"Until the court can find a proper time to give her a trial…" Bob's monotonous answer was interrupted as he changed the topic. "Speaking of that, these official government letters came in the mail today. From the National Supers Agency." Taken aback, Helen reached for her letter, and both supers pulled out stacks of paper from within the large brown envelope.

Helen's eyes scanned the official report, ignoring the technicalities and trivial details while grabbing the gist of the report, occasionally muttering some word or phrase. "Ban on Supers… lifted… NSA as new governing body having direct control over all matters concerning supers… equal rights and status as police… hired at NSA's discretion." Helen's fingers flicked through the report, hardly able to believe what was written there. The supers were coming back!

"There's plenty of details in there… tried to get Rick to explain half the load of crap to me, but he wasn't in his office…" Bob started, before being interrupted by the doorbell. "I'll get it," he muttered, heaving his body off the sofa and pulling open the door to see Rick Dicker outside, rubbing his gloved palms together in the cold.

"Well invite me in, Bob. It's freezing outside." Bob muttered his apologies, stepping aside to allow him to enter. Taking his coat for him, Bob further offered to get him a cup of tea while Helen invited him over to have a seat. The silence stretched over for a moment as Bob fumbled to find a cup. Neither spoke till the trio was seated in a circle, steaming cup of tea in Rick's hands. Rick took a sip of tea before breaking the silence. "I see you've got the letter," he grunted.

"Yeah, it came in today. So you know everything this report says?" Bob inquired casually.

"Yes, since I was the one who drafted it over the months." Taking a sip of tea, he continued. "The ban has indeed been lifted. As you can see, I had pushed for Supers to have the same rights as the police. If the cops are allowed to kick down doors and blast up walls with their handguns, so why can't you Supers?"

"That's good," Bob agreed. "So what's this part about hiring of supers?"

"Basically, the NSA will be monitoring you Supers to carry out your work like the cops does, after you obtain a permit of sorts from us. Basically, you'll be another branch of the internal security division, on par with the police force, except you don't get paid, at least for the moment…" Rick's voice trailed off, ending with a sigh. Bob could see the multiple creases in Rick's forehead deepen as he frowned.

Helen thumbed through the report for the last time, looking for a specific part she thought was left out. "It doesn't say anything about children taking part in the action, Rick…"

"Neither does it say anything about them not being able to participate, Helen. I kinda predicted you people would bring this up, especially your children, and got it prepared. Parents have a right to decide what's best for their child, and it saves me from having to listen to a thousand complaints from your children." Draining the last from his cup, Rick faced Bob, pointing out a group of particulars form and permission slips behind the reports for him to fill in.

"This here is for you to register their official Super name, powers, and costume characteristics. Only when these three are recognised will this Super be a legal crime fighter…" Rick droned on to Bob, who was staring blankly at the piles of paper in front of him. "Look, why don't I get you a lift to the office, and we can settle the registration now. Get Lucius along if you want, we can pick him up along the way." Bob tapped a couple of buttons on the phone, conversing briefly with his best friend before hanging up. As Rick reached for his coat, his eyes seemed to brighten as he turned towards Helen and Bob.

"One last thing. Your baby boy… Can I have a look at him?"

Helen led him to Jack-Jack's cot, as he peered over at the sleeping baby, nodding his head in satisfaction. Acknowledging the raised eyebrows from Helen, Rick started while putting on his coat, "As the last part of my drafting of the new Supers Act, I had to interrogate this girl… what's her name… that babysitter…."

Helen's temper flared as she jabbed a finger in Rick's face. "Kari? She gave Jack-Jack to Syndrome…"

"Calm down, Helen. You may want to hear this out first. She may be the only other living person who witnessed Jack-Jack's powers in action." With that, he recounted the entire story to Bob and Helen.

"Five powers?" Helen exclaimed as soon as he had finished. "It's such a rare occurrence… even to have more than two powers. And how come we haven't seen him use it up till now?"

"He's only a child, Helen. Something must have agitated the inert ability in his mind for him to use his powers. Until his mental prowess develops fully, though. Then he'll be using his powers uncontrollably…" Sighing, Rick continued, "The kid has potential, Helen. Glad to know that there's someone new to take over." Glancing at his watch, he put on his coat. "See you around, Helen. Bob, let's go."

The couple pulled into a hug for a fleeting moment before Bob climbed into the waiting limousine after Rick, closing the door behind him carefully. Within seconds, it was speeding off into the distant, heading for the city.

Helen sighed, closing the door behind her. Her stomach rumbling, she headed for the dining table, settling down in the chair in front of her half-eaten plate of spaghetti. For a minute, she ate in peace, until someone pulled out the chair across her.

"Shouldn't you be up…" Helen started, thinking that she'd never have a decent meal with Dash around, when she looked up.

"I'm hungry, Mom. Is there _anything_ to eat around here?" Violet asked, yawning while giving Helen a reassuring wink.

Stunned was an understatement as Helen stared at her daughter's carefree greeting. With her extended arms, she grabbed Bob's share of lunch, laying it down in front of Violet, all this while keeping her eyes on her, as though she would just disappear if Helen had looked away.

Violet nodded in gratitude, smiling mildly as she picked up her fork before dropping it again. "I'm alright, Mom. I've… been thinking about stuff this few weeks. Sorting out my thoughts. Forgetting what I want to forget…" Pausing for a second, she let a single tear flow down her cheek before continuing. "Though I may never be able to…"

Helen reached across the table, hugging Violet. "Don't worry about a thing, Vi."

Violet pulled away from her mother's arms, as she gestured to her to continue eating. Helen continued to stare at Violet as she started on her spaghetti. "Mom… are you OK?" Violet asked, staring back in concern.

"I'm fine, Vi. It's just that… it's good to have you back. Though half of your winter break's gone by now, I want you to…"

"Continue living life as normal?" Violet completed the sentence for her mother. "Speaking of normal, what was Mr Dicker here for?"

Helen explained the entire Supers Act to Violet, as she cheered the actions taken to bring back the Supers, especially the fact that they were allowed to participate. "So what names are Dad going to put for us?"

"Well he's definitely Mr Incredible, I'm Elastigirl… the two of you I'm not too sure."

"I'd better call him to make sure I get a cool name…"

"No need for that, Vi. I'm sure he'll know what's best for us."

"So… is everything cleared up between the two of you?" Violet asked hesitantly, unsure of the reaction she would get.

"Yes, thankfully it's all over now…" Helen sighed, spearing a meatball with her fork and taking a bite from it.

Violet's gaze shifts towards the floor, thinking about her parents' problem, which meant thinking about Mirage. Her captors had told her to visit her. Besides, she's really quite innocent, so perhaps Violet should offer an apology for getting her involved in this. "Mom… I'm not really hungry anymore. I… I think I'm going to visit… Tony instead."

"Well, alright. Remember to put on your winter stuff; I left them downstairs with the laundry."

Violet stuffed on her woollen gloves, boots and coat, and grabbed her scarf and cap before heading for the door. Shouting goodbye to her mother, she paused to put on her headgear. In the distance, she noticed someone jogging in the direction of their house.

"Tony?" Violet whispered, rushing out onto the sidewalk towards her boyfriend. The two embraced each other for a brief moment; Violet glanced back to make sure her mother wasn't looking.

"Violet…" Tony hesitated, eyes shifting around as he shuffled his weight around restlessly. He seemed to be relieving some thoughts in his mind, shuddering as Violet touched his shoulder.

"What's wrong, Tony?"

"Nothing, really… It's just that… It's been a long time since we've met, haven't we?" Tony coughed, further avoiding meeting Violet's eyes. "A while back, when I went to your house, there was no one there. Then, your mother said you were sick, and refused to allow me to see you… so…"

Violet placed a finger on Tony's lip, as he looked into Violet's eyes. "I wasn't able to see you, Tony… For a while I thought I won't be able to see you again…" She lifted her finger, using it to brush off the tears gathering in her eyes.

"Is there anything that you can tell me now? I mean… last time you kinda blew me off…"

Violet's secret, along with the rest of the family's, hung on the edge of her tongue. It would be so simple to just reveal everything her family had been hiding for the past fifteen years, especially to Tony, probably the only other person Violet would trust with her secret.

"Have… Have you ever wanted to say something you've promised never to say?"

Tony thought about it for a moment, scratching his head, "I guess… only if I can absolutely trust that person. So… does that have anything to do with your problem?"

Violet took a deep breath, letting it out quickly. "OK, here goes. My family is… not exactly normal…" There was a momentary silence as Violet realised that Tony didn't exactly interpret it the way she had meant.

"You don't mean to say… your father's a super villain out to take over the world?" Tony burst out in laughter, unable to control himself.

"No…" Violet said, exasperated with Tony's casual remarks. She was surprised that his words were so close, yet so far from the truth. "Forget it, Tony. Let's just leave it at that." Looking up, she broke into a grin. "Maybe if we stayed together long enough, I'll tell you…"

The couple stood for a minute, laughing at the thought of them still being together beyond their high school life. Tony reached out, brushing Violet's hair out of the way, leaning forward to kiss Violet. Violet closed her eyes, ready to embrace the moment, when she remembered her purpose for coming out. Her fingers stopped Tony's lips, just inches from her face while taking a few steps back.

"Tony, I'm sorry… I really gotta run…" Tony's eyes slid away, nodding to acknowledge Violet's words. "It's just that there's some things I can't tell you… At least not yet…" Violet muttered, as Tony's hand hung by his side.

"It's OK, Violet. I guess I'll see you around," Tony sighed with a reluctant wave, turning at the bend towards his house.

Violet paused to watch Tony's retreating back as he disappeared over the horizon, stuffing her hands into her pockets before continuing on her way to the state prison.

"Please be seated. The prisoner is being escorted here now," the warden said curtly, gesturing to an open booth. Behind a tiny counter was the prisoner's seating area, separated from her by bulletproof Plexiglas. As Violet surveyed the surroundings, security cameras trained down on her, observing her every move.

In the distant, Violet heard sounds of metal gates sliding open, and Mirage being led out by four heavily armed guards. She was haggard in her prison uniform, definitely not the elegant Mirage that Violet knew her to be. Standing a little way off, the guards stood ready, hands placed firmly on their rifles, as Mirage sat down. She pointed her finger to her right, and Violet noticed a phone receiver built into the wall. Either this is a high-security prison, or the prisoner is placed under high security, Violet thought as she picked up the receiver. Absolutely no contact with the prisoner was allowed.

"Violet…" Mirage started, staring off into blank space beyond Violet. "They got me out of jail… offered me this job… said that I had no choice left… I brought everything on you… Apologising is all I can do…" She paused, looking up in surprise at Violet's smile.

"Just tell me everything about those Specialists people," Violet asked, calming Mirage down. She kept silent for a full minute, head hung low. "Mirage…" Violet called softly, shaking Mirage out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Violet…" Mirage's voice was flustered, as she looked at the guards behind her. Lowering her voice and covering up the receiver, she whispered, "They came to me this morning and…"

The reinforced steel wall behind Mirage blew apart, the force knocking over the guards and sending shrapnel scattered over their fallen bodies. Mirage looked back for a moment, turning around and cowering under the counter, out of Violet's sight. Violet backed away from the Plexiglas as a loud alarm blared.

The dust and debris cleared from the opening in the wall, sent sweeping away by the wind generated by the helicopter beyond. Behind the clear cockpit were the Specialists, each seated behind a separate console. By now, guards were pouring in from all corridors, weapons aimed on the hovering helicopter.

"Fire!" The muffled command was obeyed instantly; volleys of shots were fired, before the guards scrambled back behind cover. Violet watched all this silently, as a spherical force field surrounded the helicopter. Violet frowned; she hadn't set off her force field accidentally, so why was there…

A group of guards scrambled back, making way for two guards, one of them with a rocket launcher slung on his shoulder. There wasn't even a chance for them to fire. Machine gun fire kept the soldiers at bay while the Specialists climbed out from their seats, jumping out from an open hatch. As they did so, the helicopter rose out of sight, turning invisible as it went.

The leader pulled out a couple of grenades, sending them rolling on the floor. Green gas, exactly like the one Violet succumbed to before, flushed the room. Guards dropped to the floor, sending guns clattering as the Specialists moved on, entering the prison building just as the gas subsided.

"Serena and Anna, secure the target. Ken; get ready for our exit." Violet looked over the Plexiglas panel to see the two female Specialists bend down beside Mirage, injecting a syringe of fluid into her veins and heaving her slumped body over their shoulders. The leader turned to Violet. "Defeating you will be a walk in the park, Violet." Turning, he signalled for the group to follow. They continued out into the prison courtyard, and Violet knew that any protest by her was futile. She watched as they climbed back on the now-visible helicopter, before it took off into the horizon.

Violet picked up her backpack from the guard post, left behind for 'security reasons,' recounting everything that happened. "Defeating me will be… 'A walk in the park'…" Violet repeated his words, musing over his choice of words. She snapped her fingers, heading for the nearest restroom. Pulling out her Super-suit, she was changed in a moment. She needed to go to the Metroville Park.

Trivia: The 'intermission' part of the chapter title was because I announced a three months' break after this chapter's release. After that… number of reviews dropped, once-loyal readers turned away… but if I didn't take that break, UV may not have turned out this way.

Up till now you've probably read several mentions of Tony Rydinger, but there's no concrete development in their relationship… yet. It'll stay that way at least through this story. In the fandom outside, there are three groups, each with their supporters: Violet/Tony, Violet/Syndrome and Violet/OC. There are arguments for all three sides, but I chose neither. I'll probably keep up these kinds of interaction between them until the next few fics.


	11. Mark of a Super

Ultraviolet

Chapter 11

Mark of a Super

Violet stepped out of the prison's public restroom, having changed into her Super-suit. Fortunately the coat she was wearing could cover her entire suit; the only exposed parts were her boots and gloves. Glancing down at her overall image, she smiled to herself, thinking that this could be a future fashion fad. She slipped the mask into her front pocket, choosing to wear it later. Trudging towards the park through the thin layer of snow, she caught sight of the wrought-iron gate leading into the park.

Beyond the metallic barrier, she could see sporadic groups of children enjoying themselves, messing around in the snow, as adults watched on. Boys having a snowball fight. Girls making snow angels, giggling away. Dating couples strolling along the concrete pathway. That brought Tony to Violet's mind. She could imagine the two of them, seated by the park bench…

No, she chided herself silently, driving that thought from her mind. She needed to focus for the fight ahead. After… after everything is resolved… then she can think about Tony. If there was anything at all in her hunch, she would soon be facing four Supers, superior with their technology and possessing unlimited advantage with their mysterious powers. She needed to concentrate… She couldn't let Tony get in her way… in her thoughts.

She sighed and treaded through the snow towards the gate. Taking one quick glance at the scene in front of her, she wondered if she got the right location. It didn't look as though the park was under attack.

"Hey, Violet!"

Violet whirled around as she reacted to the familiar voice. Jogging up to her was Tony Rydinger, panting to catch up with her. Violet found her heart pumping faster as blood flushed her cheeks. Great, she thought, the last thing I need to distract me.

"Hey, Violet," Tony repeated as soon as he came to a halt. Running his fingers through his hair, he flashed a sheepish grin at her while trying to catch his breath from his run.

All that Violet could muster up was a shy grin, letting the silence continue until it was getting uncomfortable. All this while her heart was still racing and the strange warmth remained in her cheeks. Already she was losing focus of the mission, and she knew it, but she couldn't do anything about it.

"So… when you said that you had something on, this was what you had in mind." The awkward pause stretched on for a full ten seconds before Tony spoke up again. "So do you, like, wanna hang out or something… I mean, if you don't have anything else to…"

"I'd love to," Violet blurted out without thinking of the consequence. Her eyes widened, taking a quick glance around the park as though it was under attack, before looking back at Tony.

"Right…" Tony hesitated, "So… hang out…"

"A walk around here would be good," Violet suggested, taking off before Tony could react. Turning back with a grin, she called out, "Coming?"

The path took them beside the now-frozen lake, as hundreds of snowflakes wafted down upon them. The silence between them was compensated for by the shrill laughs from the carefree children, while their parents looked on with their video camcorders.

Violet watched as the kids drew intricate patterns on the icy lake, pausing to watch as she wished that her life were like this; there would be no need to hunt down the Specialists, go on patrols… She knew that it was impossible, but at least it was something to strive towards. With a satisfied grin, she continued staring until Tony realised that she was no longer with him.

"Violet?" Tony called out, gently shaking her from her trance. "Are you alright?" Violet smiled in embarrassment as Tony came back for her. "Why don't we take a rest?" Tony gestured at a bench behind them, leading Violet towards the seat. "You seem awfully weird today, Violet. You can tell me what's troubling you, I promise I won't tell anyone."

"If you really need to know…" Violet hesitated as another thought came to mind. With the new act allowing Supers to work in the open again, she may never be able to enjoy this again. Her whole life would be consumed with hero work… until the day when she is finally defeated, or when the NSA thinks that she is useless for their needs… or until she can contribute no more as a Super. The thought made her hold back, as she considered surrendering all that to Tony, possibly making him regret his choice. No, he can't know… can't know any more.

"Yes?" Tony probed, sensing hesitation from Violet again. There came no answer from her blank face. Instead, her head was raised towards the sky, at the menacing shadow overhead, its rotors spelling an ominous doom for whoever may be hearing it.

"It's here…" Violet whispered, though she did not expect Tony to be able to hear it. The sound of chopper blades rotating drowned most noises around it, attracting the attention of others all around. After all, it was not every day that a helicopter flew over the Metroville Park at such low altitudes.

Within seconds it passed the park, threatening to pass out of Violet's line of sight. Cursing silently under her breath, she got up to her feet, knowing it will soon disappear over the horizon. The mechanical drone of rotors was fading along with the diminutive dot in the sky. She had to think… Where could it be headed…?

"What do you think, Violet? Impressive, isn't it?" Violet hung her head, exasperated at Tony for saying such things at such a critical period, but she'll have to forgive him for his ignorance. This was something she had to deal with alone; normal people like Tony won't be able to understand it, much less do anything about it. That… was the mark of a Super…

"Hey, look, there it comes again," Tony exclaimed. Violet lifted her head, and sure enough, the tiny dot was now enlarging, heading back towards them at the same high speed. Within seconds, it was hovering over the park premises, slowing down as it came past the frozen lake, casting a shadow over it.

The initial commotion had died down, now replaced with civilians scrambling to clear the lake, hands cupped firmly over their ears. Even Violet couldn't resist the deafening roar. Beside her, Tony's hands were firmly over his ears, mouth gaping as the rotor whirl died down. With the blades slowing down, the massive helicopter seemed to float to a halt, resting gently over the now-evacuated lake.

Violet waited with bated breath, half wanting to shout out for the crowd to disperse. On the contrary, the crowd had once again gathered to marvel at the vehicle, oblivious to the danger implicit within its presence. There was even clapping amongst some of the children; even adults were cheering, as though this was some kind of show.

The tension was building up in Violet's mind; they were up to something. Were they waiting for her to reveal herself? Or perhaps there was something darker, a more sinister plot that she knew they were capable of coming up with. Violet felt her breathing quicken; she was losing her focus like she did when she fought Mirage just a few weeks earlier. There, she almost lowered herself to despicable level of her opponents. She cannot afford to make that mistake again.

There was a cry from within the crowd; a flurry of footsteps followed with screams of joy. From the corner of her eye, Violet noticed a pair of children, no more than 5 years old, breaking away from their parents' grip, rushing forward to lay their hands on the hull of the helicopter. For a second everyone stared as they realised just what could have happened to those kids. Their parents' screams of protest replaced every other sound in the vicinity as the crowd fell silent, as their tiny palms came into contact with the smooth metal frame. Everyone else watched on, each imagining a thousand things that could have gone wrong in that instant.

But nothing came. Murmurs of relief flooded the area; other children, not wanting to lose out, were rushing out to surround the vehicle. Violet almost slapped her head in grief. She couldn't shoulder the burden of keeping the safety of civilians all around… not alone at least. She needed experience, and there was no way she could get it if she ran away from it now.

If… She thought, with a bitter smile… If she wasn't a Super… No, that fact couldn't be changed now; maybe she should just accept it and start learning.

"Citizens of Metroville!" The booming voice blasted out from within the helicopter, as the children stopped in their merry caper, and adults looked up from their children towards the source of the voice. The front cockpit of the helicopter opened with a sound much like an airtight container being opened, revealing the four Supers called the Specialists. The leader, whatever his name was, stood up to address the crowd.

This is it, Violet thought, the moment you've been waiting for.

"We're a bit lost around here… We've heard that Metroville is famed for their superheroes, and would like to meet some of them… Maybe one of you can help us find them?" Mutterings started to spread around the crowd. They had no idea the Supers were slated return from their hiding after the SRP was put in place for fifteen years. The news was supposed to be out by the evening post. "Perhaps this young couple can help us," he continued, as twin headlights shone at Tony and Violet.

Violet felt a gasp escape from her pursed lips as she prepared for the worst. Dozens of pairs of eyes were trained on them, despite the light's ineffectiveness in bright daylight. "Great, now I know what the politicians feel like," Violet heard Tony whisper to her ear, resisting the urge to nudge him to shut up.

"A little encouragement, maybe?" On some unspoken order, a missile hatch emerged from the roof of the helicopter. People who could see the rows of explosives lined up inside it were starting to back away, while hysterical screams erupted from others. "No answer… Maybe this will help…" A soft hiss emitted from within the launcher, as a single missile shot forth, first towards the sky, then plummeting down towards them

Violet had a choice: She could both use her powers and reveal herself to the world, or risk death. Maybe she should have chosen the first option to protect Tony as a Super, but if there was one thing she learnt, using her powers was not always the best of choices. She could come up with something more.

"Tony, look out!" she yelled, grabbing him by the hand. For a fleeting moment, they stared each other in the eye, as though passing some unspoken instructions. With a single leg on the bench, they used it to propel themselves over it, hurtling as far away from the bench as possible, as the missile streaked down and struck an empty area, embedded in the snow without exploding. The crowd awed at the miraculous escape, while Tony and Violet came face to face again.

"Shouldn't that be my line?" Tony asked, grinning in the face of death. The couple struggled to their feet together, amid the applause from the crowd. Tony beamed at the crowd, not quite used to this type of attention.

Violet chose not to answer; she was listening out for anything from the Specialists' helicopter. From the open cockpit she could see the four Supers gathered in deep discussion, maybe even arguing about something. Great, Violet thought, a weakness to be exploited. She watched on as they split up and went back to their own stations in the vehicle. The only one left standing was by far the youngest, a female who didn't look much older than Violet herself. With a leap she jumped clear out of the cockpit, a feat not impossible without practice. Sliding down the smooth front hull, she landed on a clear area with a gentle thud, several feet away from the icy lake, drawing most of the crowd's attention again.

"I shall clear things up here, while my siblings take care of business elsewhere."

Clear blue streams of flame erupted from the bottom of the helicopter, propelling the helicopter above their heads, before shooting off into the horizon. Violet glanced from the helicopter to the Specialist in front of her. Does she know that her opponent is right in front of her?

However at that moment Violet's attention was drawn away from her once again. A faint cracking sound was spreading across the lake, then as though in slow motion the sheet of ice over the lake snapped into several pieces. Those with children on them were tipping over, taking the kid with them. Within seconds, around twenty kids were flailing in the ice-cold lake, with frantic parents trying to haul them onto safe ground.

A general state of panic was all around; children were screaming while parents were rushing to grab hold of their kids, with some help from the others. A couple of teenagers were pulling off their jackets, ready to dive in to help the struggling kids.

Through all this, the Specialist watched on with slight bemusement, as though this was a television programme. This stirred up the sense of justice in Violet; there were children in trouble, and yet all she could do is stare… Something had to be done.

"Tony, find a way to get those kids to safety. I'll go call for help." Tony turned to look at Violet, nodding in agreement. With a last glance back at Violet, he took off, feet pounding against the compacted snow.

Violet watched on as he tugged at some kid's arm, pulling him to safety. When the coast was clear, she ducked behind the nearest tree, crouching to avoid detection. In one swift action, she grabbed her mask before tossing her coat aside. Securing her mask on her face, she stood up, resisting an urge to smile.

"So this is how Batman does it…" Violet whispered to herself.

Trivia: The addition of Tony in this chapter was really an aside thing; but I can't get it to work without him there. Pardon the reference to Batman, though. Disclaim: do not own Batman.


	12. A Fight with Fear

Ultraviolet

Chapter 12

A Fight with Fear

The fallen snow crunched under Violet's boots, while her hands hung loose by her side. She wouldn't admit it, but there was a tremor of fear through her every bone even as she walked on towards her adversary. This was her first solo appearance as a Super. What if she made a fool of herself? What if she couldn't protect the innocent people out there? What if…

Stop it, Violet, she chided herself. Just do what you usually do and leave the rest aside for now.

Her eyes were focused on her target: the female Specialist left behind to 'take care' of her. Once again she was up against a Super with powers unknown to her. It was disturbing to know that she will never be at an advantage against these villains.

In less than a minute, maybe, the world will see Violet Parr in action.

Her eyes slid towards Tony, who had just helped up the last child in the lake. They were both doing their part for the community, Tony as a helpful citizen, and Violet as a Super… though the amount of credit she'll be getting may be much less than his.

"Well… Here comes our young hero, here to save the day," a cold voice came from behind, causing Violet to stop in her tracks.

What the… Violet thought through gritted teeth. When did she get behind me?

Violet whirled around to face the petite female Super. Her Super-suit was mainly black, accompanied with yellow down her shoulders and below her waist. Her mask was a simple black one like hers, adorned with red gems along the side. Her blonde shoulder-length hair was kept back in a ponytail.

"Your attention seems to be elsewhere."

Violet's breathing quickened, she felt her heart pumping faster as adrenaline flushed her system. She should be ready for anything her opponent could possibly throw at her. Yet her opponent remained calm… was this really too easy for her?

"I'm Anna, junior member of the Specialist," she introduced herself, the corner of her lips curled in a grin. "But you can call me Phobia, your worst fear." Violet did not reply, choosing to wait for more information to be revealed about this Super. "It ends here, Violet. I can't let you proceed any further."

Violet focused, feeling her body disappear into the off-white of the snow around her. Catch me if you can, Phobia, she dared her opponent silently, backing away softly while keeping her eyes transfixed on her opponent's unwavering calmness. A tiny shiver was spreading across her arms, as a chill spread down to her legs, resisted only by the warm blood flowing through her body. This Super-suit was not meant for winter battles.

Phobia did not seem to care about the fact that Violet was invisible. Instead she bent down, rolling in her palm a tiny ball of snow. Drawing the snowball back, she hurled it straight at Violet's position, catching her in the face before she could react. How did she… Violet thought, brushing the wet stuff off her face.

"That wasn't too difficult. Your boots leave footprints, which gives away your position. Come on, put some effort in it; this is getting boring."

Violet winced; once again she had made another beginner's mistake. Her parents would have come up with something better… But her parents aren't here now; nor will they be with her once they get too old for the Supers action. She had to face up to this herself so that she won't make these mistakes again.

Violet dropped her invisibility, ready to take on Phobia with her bare hands. Her opponent widened her grin, getting into combat stance herself. Violet counted off the seconds, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Violet struck out at Phobia, jabbing straight at her, only to have it blocked away. Immediately she retaliated with a kick to Violet's shin, bringing her down to her knees. Violet cried out in pain, grabbing her shin as she nursed the sharp pain resulting from the swift counterattack.

Phobia's boots popped into Violet's limited line of sight. Before she could attack, Phobia had her hands on Violet's face, fingers pressing down on her cheeks. Tiny jolts of electricity seemed to pass between Phobia's fingers and Violet's face; it almost felt like she was going to electrocute her.

Wait a minute… Violet thought, she called herself 'Phobia', so what does that got to do with electricity?

There wasn't much time for Violet to muse over such seemingly trivial things, as Phobia did a back flip, landing in a crouch several feet away before straightening up. Violet tried to get up too, before her legs gave way and she fell back on her knees, though the pain in her leg had subsided.

Violet clutched her head the moment she was down, attempting to shake off the dizzy sensation spreading through her head. Her vision blurred, and for a brief moment she thought her arms were invisible, even though she wasn't using her powers. Just what was happening to her?

"You must be feeling the side effects of my powers. Don't worry, they'll be gone in a few minutes. You'll feel much better soon," Phobia assured. With her blur vision, Violet saw her opponent pull out something long and black from her belt. With a touch of a button, Violet noticed a thin blade ejected from the black plastic cover. It was a switchblade.

Despite the pain in her head, Violet felt a laugh escape her mouth. The last time she came up against a switchblade, she disarmed that guy in like, five seconds. There was no way she can win with that weapon, no matter how strong she was. Rubbing her eyes, her vision cleared and within a second she was up on her feet, ready for a fight.

"You're going to fight me with that? Don't make me laugh," Violet taunted, taking a couple of steps towards her opponent.

"Really? Look again." Violet's head jerked down, noticing plastic and metal meld together into a thin long mess. Violet's eyes widened as the metallic bits extended, first just a few inches, all the way until it lengthened slightly beyond one metre. The molten metal hardened in just a few seconds, reshaping to form a sword, not unlike those from medieval movies. The sheer weight of that sword should have made any teenage girl drop the weapon, but she held on using only her right hand. Perhaps it was her training that allows her to wield a sword with ease, but a nagging voice in Violet's head tells her that there is more to it than strength alone. It must have something to do with her powers. "Let your worst fears be unleashed," Phobia proclaimed

The moment she said that, the sky was flushed crimson red, as though blood has been spilt all over it. The clouds remained white, though they were shifting… forming shapes of fairytale monsters that once haunted her childhood nightmares. Towering over her, they looked like they would strike down on her in any minute.

"How are you doing all these?" Violet demanded, taking her eyes off the skies and back on Phobia, who was standing with her arms crossed, totally disregarding the changes to the surroundings.

"It's my powers; that's like asking you how you turn invisible." She strode over to Violet, leaning closer to her until she was almost breathing down on her shoulders, whispering into her ear. "I know what makes you tick now…"

Phobia drew back, slashing her sword upwards while she backed away. Violet barely managed to bring up a force field in time to block the full-powered swing, feeling a tiny force pushing down on her every time Phobia struck her force field. Violet was back on the defensive again; she needs an opportunity to strike back.

Phobia stepped back for a second, before pouncing forward with an overhead swing. Violet took the chance, dropping her force field and jumping backward. With the barrier gone, there's nothing to stop Phobia's attack; her momentum carried her forward, till her sword struck the inch-deep snow, embedded in the soft soil underneath. Violet landed a few feet back, regaining her balance before aiming for a roundhouse kick straight at her exposed hands resting on the sword's hilt.

Phobia jerked her hand back in time to save her fingers; however her sword was knocked several metres away. Violet followed up with a forward thrust of her heel, connecting with Phobia's head and sending her reeling back. Violet could see Phobia's eyes widen, possibly the same look on her own face the first time she was in trouble. Now she knew… her opponent was scared of her.

Phobia took a while to recover back on her feet, giving Violet some time to take her bearings. A crowd was forming up around to watch them. This adds to the increasing pressure building up on Violet's mind. She can't lose this fight. Overhead, the crimson skies serve as a distraction more than anything. Violet knew that the more she stayed in this warped world of Phobia's, the easier it will be for her to slip up.

Phobia's eyes were fixed on a point somewhere far away, trailing it with her eyes as she panted to catch her breath. The way she stared at whatever was behind her, so intent there were literally tiny flames seared in her eyes, compelling Violet to turn around to find out: just what was behind her.

In the next few seconds, two things happened simultaneously, clouding up Violet's mind with too much information that she has no idea exactly what was going on. Her head jerked behind, catching sight of a giant metallic disc with swirling blades. It was yet another Velocipod. Violet was starting to notice the familiar drone of its blades in her ears. At the same time, there was sudden movement from Phobia. Before Violet could respond, she had scrambled across the snow, grabbing her sword and holding it out in front of her.

Violet rolled to her right, keeping both the Velocipod and Phobia in her sight. Just how a Velocipod get to the park without being noticed was a miracle in itself. Now she has to deal with two threats, not something every Super deals with on their first solo.

"I hate to interrupt, but look behind you," Phobia called out with a grin. All she heard was a growl; in reflex she rolled over to her left, throwing out her hands to form a force field. There was a bump as whatever was jumping out at her hit the force field at full force, landing with a thud several feet away. Violet dropped the force field and got up, gaping in horror as she saw what lay motionless in the snow. It was Bloodhound, the villain she once fought in her own home.

"Bloodhound…" Violet's voice trailed off as she remembered the brief skirmish they had. "But… he died right? He was poisoned by something…" Violet could feel the pain in her head overtaking her again. On top of this information overload came a shout from the crowd.

"Down with Supers!" For a second there was silence, followed by a couple more shouts. Within seconds it was becoming more of a chant, just like the one that brought down the Glory Days in her parents' time. "Down with Supers! Down with Supers…"

Violet resisted a scream. Their every syllable seemed to add to the headache building up. Her brain was throbbing, like a time bomb ready to detonate. Focusing, or even fighting, was impossible for Violet now. Over the chants, the hum from the Velocipod, the jeers and boos from the crowd and the laughs were the sounds of a camera shutter going off, accompanied with a series of camera flashes, turning out to be the ultimate trigger to the time bomb inside Violet's head.

"Get away from me!" Violet screamed, squatting down with her fingers stuffed into her ears and sealing her eyes shut. She didn't want to see or hear anything from outside anymore. Still the sounds seemed to slip through the gaps between her fingers, reaching her ears and echoing inside her mind. The bitter cold around her was adding to it all.

Alright, Violet… she thought, deep breaths...

Like a compressed spring she shot up, letting loose with a scream, silencing the crowd once again. The flashed of silver blades in front of her was exactly what she expected. With a swing of her arms, the force field came up over her, making contact with the Velocipod's hull, sending it careening towards the trees and over the heads of the people around. The Velocipod didn't land with a crash; it merely sunk into the snow.

Violet lifted her head, panting at the slight exertion from using her powers. Around her, most of the crowd was backing away, probably frightened off by her scream. One of them was nursing an injured dog. It didn't matter to her. They can only serve as distractions to her. Above her the skies had reverted to its azure hue, no longer the crimson which signified that she was under Phobia's powers. Her opponent was no longer wearing a smug grin. Raising her switchblade, she lunged forward with a straight stab, only to be blocked by Violet's forearm.

"Now we can fight," Violet uttered, relishing the fear in Phobia's eyes.

The people around them that remained were cheering now, cheering her on. Now was her chance to show them… now was the time to get revenge.

Trivia: This chapter remains the most read chapter from chapter ten onwards, and yet has the least reviews… warped…

The short references to Bloodhound and the Velocipod were part of Phobia's fear-inducing powers. Exaggerations of the truth, really. Bloodhound equals innocent puppy, Velocipod equals Frisbee. Get it?


	13. Unveiled

Ultraviolet

Chapter 13

Unveiled

Violet tightened her grip on Phobia's wrist, digging her nails into her skin and adding pressure on her main artery. She knew that Phobia would either drop her weapon or risk having her blood circulation cut off. The pained look on Phobia's face spurred Violet on to use more force on her opponent, causing her to cry out. Unable to sustain it any longer, she dropped the switchblade, staring into Violet's eyes as though begging her to release her grip too.

Violet did release her grip. Flinging her opponent's hand away, she followed up with a curled fist to her opponent's gut, knocking the wind out of Phobia and leaving her rolling on the ground, clutching her stomach.

With Phobia's guard down, Violet pounced on the lithe body, raining hammer blows upon her head. Each blow brought back painful memories of her being tormented in some way by the Specialists; the pain they caused her, at least, was being vented on this… girl.

Like they way they treated her.

Was she becoming more like them now?

She didn't care if it were true. Relenting in her attack for a second, she reached for the fallen switchblade, murderous look in her eyes. She lowered the weapon until it was just a few centimetres away from Phobia's neck. Phobia didn't resist this; instead she merely closed her eyes, as though accepting her fate.

"Finish me off. He'll leave me with nowhere to go anyway. Just finish it right here."

Violet's fingers were trembling as she brought the blade down against Phobia's neck. Around her the crowd was muttering among themselves. A small group of punks were calling her to kill her.

To kill her…

Was this the Super they wanted to see? One who would kill on a whim, or for revenge? Was this the Super that children would look up to, when they say that they wanted to be just like them?

Was she becoming more like them now?

The entire park waited with bated breath for her life-changing decision.

Violet loosened her grip on the plastic handle of the switchblade, tossing it into the snow several feet away. Climbing to her feet, she addressed the crowd in her best superhero voice. "Alright, show's over. Get on home, people."

Mumbles of disappointment spread through the crowd as they departed the area, leaving the two Supers alone. Violet reached down for the fallen Phobia, offering a gloved hand. Phobia blinked a couple of times, before reaching out with her own. Grabbing it in a firm handshake, Violet pulled Phobia up to her feet.

"You spared me … Not many can do that, especially after all we've done…" A tear rolled down Phobia's mask, down her cheek and dangling on her cheek for a second before it tumbled to the ground.

"Yeah and I beat you up real bad just now, so I guess we're even," Violet replied with a smile. Staring back at her was the girl she had wanted to kill just a few minutes ago. The urge to kill was so strong, but she knew that she couldn't afford to have such feelings again.

Maybe next time she won't be able to control it…

"You were strong… Strong enough to break from my powers. Not many people have the mental prowess to even resist it…"

"Wait a minute, what exactly are your powers?"

"My powers affect… certain parts of the brain and how it perceives reality… In short it makes your imagination go haywire, you'll start to see illusions based on your fears… But they're just exaggerations of the truth. Like that switchblade there… you must have seen something like a sword, right?"

Violet gasped in realisation. That explained the weird occurrences just now, like the appearance of a Velocipod… probably just a Frisbee… Bloodhound was just another dog… the crimson sky… the crowd chants… All these were just part of her fears, magnified by her own insecurities.

"No one can separate themselves from their fears long enough to recover, most people just go crazy after a while. But you were able to escape from that little control I had over your mind. Not even after seven years of training, I guess I'm just not fit to be part of…"

"Seven years?" Violet echoed, "And you're not much older than me…"

"I'm younger by a few months actually… seven years was the least I could do before they allowed me on such a mission. This was supposed to be some kind of promotion test." Violet observed the younger Super. She may be younger but she must have gone through much more than she had. Come to think of it, she had no idea how she won this fight.

"And all you did between then was to train?" Violet questioned, intrigued by what they did.

"We have all sorts of training, lessons, physical education… Basically what you get in schools… with something extra…"

"So it's just the four of you?"

"Yeah… I guess that's what makes it different… We can't have as many friends like you can." She paused, smiling with a sigh. "Well I've got to go… find a place to stay…" Whirling around, she took a few steps before Violet called her back.

"Wait, Phobia…"

She stopped, turning to look back at Violet. "Call me Anna now. I doubt I'll ever get to use that name again."

"Why can't you just look for the others?"

Anna hung her head low, speaking in a meek voice now. "He told us that if we ever failed… even on one mission… We're not to return as the Specialists." Her voice trailed off and Violet felt a pang of pity hit her like a sledgehammer. She was now homeless… because she failed to complete her mission.

"And this 'he' you're referring to is…"

"You can say that he's our father, mentor, teacher, saviour… He made us who we are today, and I am, in many ways, indebted to him for bringing me up." She brushed aside more tears gathering in her eyes. "Now I must go. Goodbye, Violet."

Before Violet could reply, she was sprinting away in the opposite direction, fading into the evening fog. Violet felt a tinge of pity for her, despite her actions before. She may have done much to hurt Violet, but now she's just a lost teenage girl. Maybe she should call Anna back… offer a place for her to stay…

Yeah, and get scolded again for harbouring a criminal in their house.

It was then Violet noticed that the sun was setting, leaving an orange tint in the sky. She had to be home too. Surely her parents were worried, especially after her solitary confinement of a few weeks. Sighing, she put on her jacket and peeled off her mask, looking around the almost-empty park before heading for the gate and the long jog home.

Violet's finger hovered over the doorbell, just about to depress the button when the door swung open.

"Violet, you're back!" Her mother's hands extended forward, pulling her into a hug. "We were so worried for you, especially after Tony called and asked if you were at home… Where did you go?" Wrapping her arms around Violet's shoulders, she ushered Violet to the sofa, making her sit down. "Wait here, honey. I'll get you a warm cup of cocoa."

"What's happening?" Violet asked, frowning in doubt. Her mother seemed too… friendly… and her father… was just sitting at the dining table, seemingly oblivious to her presence. Dash was nowhere to be seen.

There was the sound of a chair being dragged across the tiled floor. Violet looked up as her father made his way to the living room, throwing down a newspaper on the table in front of her. "This was supposed to be the headlines for today's evening post."

Violet's queries multiplied as she unfolded the newspaper. The headlines screamed: 'Young Super's fight end in mental breakdown.' The next line read: 'NSA agent Rick Dicker announces removal of Super's ban; Mr Incredible's daughter breaks down against new villain.' The accompanying picture showed her clutching her head; face screwed up in pain.

"Wait a minute, I didn't break down… well not exactly…" Violet protested. "And how did they find out about this anyway?"

"Just read the article," her father muttered. Violet knew he was hiding his fury, and obeyed his instructions without question.

_Mr Rick Dicker, agent of the National Supers Agency (NSA) had announced the lifting of the ban just hours ago, calling for Supers of all ages to register in order to fight crime again. Details of the registration will be featured in later articles._

_Ultraviolet, daughter of famed super Mr Incredible, was the first Super in action after the ban of Supers was implemented almost fifteen years ago. Our reporters stumbled across the epic battle in Metroville Park, where the heated battle was already under way. Further investigation found that the young Super was registered just minutes before the fight, making her legally able to defend any part of the city should it come under threat._

Ultraviolet… was that her Super name from now on? Realising she had spaced out for a second, she went beck to the article.

_Throughout the fight, Ultraviolet seemed shaken and out of focus, supposedly through inexperience. After barely fending off the villain's attack, Ultraviolet was seen using a force field to attack a dog and a Frisbee thrown in her path. This led to our expert's opinion that she may be mentally unsound and a complaint has been filed with the NSA calling for her removal._

_Our reporters were unable to provide full coverage of the battle when Ultraviolet shouted for them to 'get away from her', even when the crowd was cheering for her. Mr Dicker denied an interview with any of the NSA's Supers, especially the Super in question, Ultraviolet…_

Violet tore her eyes away from the article, resisting the urge to tear it in half. "How did they find out these stuff so fast? And what do you mean this '_was_' supposed to be on the evening post?"

"Rick pulled some strings and it was replaced by a… milder article." Snatching the newspaper out of Violet's hand, he ripped it down in half, tossing the shredded remains into the bin. "You may want to explain yourself. What's that stuff on you breaking down mentally?"

Violet hung her head low. How was she going to tell him everything that happened without bringing up what happened when she was kidnapped? "It was this Super… Phobia… Her powers kind of exaggerate your fears… It kinda made me lose control for a while. I won anyway, so does it make a difference?"

"Of course it does! Our reputation is at stake. We can't have another ban on Supers for being mentally unstable. This is not for us to decide… the public can do more than watch us fight… remember how they brought us down…"

"Look, I can't control what powers my opponents have, how was I supposed to know what they can do against me? And what if it happened to someone else? Will you just ignore it if someone's reputation was at stake?"

Bob fell silent from Violet's argument, as both of them considered each other's words. Both of them knew that they have to watch their step from now on. They really cannot ruin the efforts to bring back the Supers.

Helen came back from the kitchen with four mugs of steaming hot cocoa, with Dash trailing behind wearily. Settling down between Violet and Bob, she glanced at the two of them. "It's nice that you two are thrashing things out now. Bob, I think we've placed too much pressure on Violet. Vi, you had to grow up so much in such a short period of time and that was not fair for you. But you still have much to learn. It'll take you some time before you can be a proficient Super."

Violet reflected on her past actions. Was there any way she could have done it differently? She knew she can't change the past, but she can definitely change the future. She'll keep those things in mind then, but exactly how she was going to do it was still fuzzy in her mind. Reaching out for her mug of hot cocoa, she took a few sips, savouring the warmth from the drink.

"And Bob, I can't believe you registered Violet as Ultraviolet. Kinda risky, don't you think?"

"Ah… Ultraviolet, Violet, Dashiell, The Dash… What's the problem?"

"The problem is that they sound too alike to be used for their Super name. We've been calling Dashiell 'Dash' since he was young. All his close friends do. So if you'd ask me who will link these two together… I'll say quite a lot."

"Haven't you heard of reverse psychology? The more you make it seem alike, the more people think 'Oh they can't be _that_ obvious, right'. Besides, the kids like the names, right, Dash?"

Violet glanced to her left, where Dash had settled down. With a grin, he was nodding in approval of his name. "Just call me… the Dash!" he announced.

Violet looked back at her parents. "Ultraviolet… That's not a bad name for a Super."

"You see, Helen? They like it... Don't worry, everything will work out eventually," Bob reassured. "Besides, we can always change it later…"

The doorbell rung, interrupting the discussion. Dash automatically answered the door, revealing Frozone standing in the light snowfall outside.

"Hey, Frozone. What's up?"

"No time… they took the hospital…"

Trivia: One of the first 'spill-over' chapters I have… Violet's fight with Anna took three chapters! I've dumped in some info about the Specialists here. And mentioned in the chapter… Anna failed her 'promotion exam'… She's still not a full-fledged Specialist… and she's fired! That's so sad…

Oh, by the way, Anna's powers were not inspired by Scarecrow from Batman… I realised their similarities only after watching the movie Batman Begins.

Due to the unfortunate addition of this chapter, it really didn't have much action, just a lot of talking. Codename S.P.E.C.I.A.L was supposed to debut as chapter name, but removed as it was a waste to be used on this chapter.


	14. They Walk Alone

Ultraviolet

Chapter 14

They Walk Alone

Bob got up; offering Frozone a seat while Dash closed the door behind them, in case someone saw the Super in his Super-suit.

"Now explain everything slowly. What happened?"

"Some new villain… Called themselves the… er… Specials or something like that." Violet showed no change in expression at the revelation. She had more than a clue that the Specialists would attempt something like that. In fact, she'll be surprised if they didn't pull this one off. "Rick sent me here as soon as he got the news. They're struggling with security less than fifteen minutes ago; we'll catch up if we leave soon."

"Alright, let's get changed…" Bob announced as he looked at his family, pausing at Violet who was still in her Super-suit.

"Whoa… Hold it, Incredible. I think you should look at this first." Holding up an inconspicuous white package, he tossed it at Bob. The family watched as he ripped off the paper covering, revealing a black cardboard box and a memo, which slipped from his grip and landed on the floor.

Helen reached for it with her arm, reading it with squinted eyes. "It's from Edna… Dear Robert, I heard about the return of Supers, and had this mailed to you at once as an early Christmas present."

Meanwhile, Bob had pulled off the top of the box, lowering so that everyone could see its contents. Among the velvet lining inside were four new Super-suits. Frozone reached for one, unfolding it one fold at a time to reveal a full-body suit, in Mr Incredible's old colour scheme of blue and black, with the same logo displayed proudly in front.

"Wait, there's more in the note," Helen announced as she flipped the card over. "Each suit has an additional centimetre of padding in important areas for more heat retention, keeping the wearer warm under winter conditions without hindering movement. They also keep their old features and can be worn with your current gloves, boots and mask. Good luck and Merry Christmas. With love, E…" Helen looked up at the four pairs of staring eyes. "Well, at least she cuts the 'darlings' from her letters." Everyone laughed at the comment, as they turned their attention towards the contents of the box

Bob and Helen picked out two adult-sized suits from the box, followed by Dash with his much smaller one. Lastly, Violet took out her suit. "Wait, what about Jack-Jack?" Violet asked, pulling out the last suit in the box.

"We'll leave him with Honey or something. That fine with you, Frozone?"

"I dunno, Bob. Not sure if a woman like her can take care of kids... We never had one before…"

"Lucius!" Helen exclaimed, arms on her hips. "How can you say that of Honey? I mean, every woman has motherly instincts and you men know nothing about caring for kids. Right Bob?" Flames were literally shooting out of Helen's eyes as she stared down Frozone. Snorting in contempt, she stormed off to the bathroom with her Super-suit trailing behind her.

"Now I see why they're scared of her, Bob…" Frozone muttered with shaking lips. "I'll just call Honey down to meet us at the hospital." With that he settled down on the couch, dialling a few numbers into the phone.

"We'd better get changed too, Dad." Violet mumbled to her father, walking past him to her room. Of course, Dash was out of his room even before Violet could reach hers. Bob followed behind, moving towards the master bedroom.

Violet removed her suit, putting on the new one. For one, the thick padding made it difficult to stuff her limbs in. Ignoring the mirror, she left her room. She didn't want to know how she looked with one centimetre of extra padding, though she had to admit; it did keep her warm.

The entire family was assembled in the living room, along with Frozone. Jack-Jack was sound asleep in Helen's arms.

"Alright, all of us get into the car now." Mumbling under his breath, Mr Incredible continued, "Like that piece of junk can get all of us there in time."

"Which reminds me… Christmas must have come early for you, my man." Frozone pulled out a set of keys from his pocket, tossing it over to Mr Incredible. "Rick got it spruced up for this day… Thought it'll be of help."

"That's…" Mr Incredible's eyes widened, clutching the keys as though they were a pile of gold. The entire family watched on, unsure of what it meant to him.

"That's right, Incredible… Your very own Incredibile." Frozone grinned, knowing just how much his friend loved his car, along with memories of how he cried when the government confiscated it during the initial phases of the Superhero Relocation Programme.

Mr Incredible's eyes were gleaming as he led the way outside, where the shiny black car was parked. Running his gloved hand down the metallic chassis and revelling in the way the rear-view mirrors were spotless, he cautioned everyone to watch out when entering his beloved car.

"Er… Dad… We kinda have a mission to rush to…" Dash reminded, bringing his father back to reality.

"Right… I was just… you know… checking out my car…" That statement sent everyone else cringing, but at least he started the engine. Within seconds, it was on autopilot, tearing down the streets towards the Supers' hospital. Outside, the heavy snowfall was affecting visibility, such that everything beyond a three feet radius outside was either white with snow or shrouded in pitch-black darkness.

"We'll be there in any minutes now…" Bob warned, checking the screen by the car radio for the umpteenth time. Pulling the car to a halt, the hatch slid open, exposing them to the harsh weather outside. Immediately they were greeted by Honey, Lucius' wife.

In a desperate rush for time, Frozone explained the situation to his wife, passing Jack-Jack over in her care. "You can wait in the car, Honey," he offered, stealing a glance at Mr Incredible.

"Ok, just make sure she doesn't touch anything under any circumstances. I'll lock her in. With the defence systems activated, nothing can touch her," Mr Incredible explained, unable to resist the chance to show off his car.

Honey climbed into the backseat area, cradling the still-sleeping Jack-Jack in his new Super-suit. The couple stared into each other's eyes, not sure of what to say.

"Let's leave them alone for awhile," Mr Incredible whispered to the family, asking them to move on to the entrance, as Frozone and Honey embraced for a second while he hummed a tune, looking nonchalant as Frozone gave Honey one last kiss.

"Good luck, Lucius!" She called out as the hatch slid to a close, and the mechanical latches locked her in the car. Mr Incredible patted Frozone on his back, as the duo trudged through heel-deep snow towards the entrance about a hundred feet away.

They came up to the cavern entrance, where the rest of the Incredibles were crowded around the guard post. "What's the situation?" Mr Incredible asked Elastigirl.

"Knocked out cold," she pronounced, moving aside to let them see. The old lady stationed at the guard post, who was supposed to hold an illusion to prevent unwanted intruders, was slumped over a table.

"They did that to a defenceless old lady… Come on, we have to stop them!" Mr Incredible barked, getting the family up to their feet and moving again, to the hospital deep in the cavern. Along the way were several bodies, strewn all across the pathway. "Security forces…" Mr Incredible muttered under his breath.

They continued through the main entrance, where a similar sight surrounded them. Most of the hospital staff was unconscious. However there was a constant moaning from behind the information counter, emitted from a doctor who had apparently scrambled to safety after the Specialists attacked.

"Tell us what happened, doctor," Mr Incredible probed, helping the man to his feet.

"They burst in and took some of us hostage… tied them up and took the rest of them somewhere into the building … Beat up the rest who didn't co-operate…"

"What did they want?"

"I don't know… They searched some of the rooms by themselves… Still at it I suppose… You'll be able to find their vehicle through the side entrance, past the main entrance road. That's all I know."

"Alright, doctor. Rest here." Putting the man on a swivel chair, he turned back to the others. "We'll split up here. Elastigirl and I will go to their vehicle and wait in ambush. Frozone, take the kids and search the compound for them Vi, you've come up against them. What's it like?"

Four pairs of eyes stared at Violet, making her feel slightly uncomfortable from the attention, but she alone had the information they need. "They may be slightly older than me but they have much more training. I'm not sure about their powers, but they will definitely have some tricks up their sleeves."

"That's good enough, Violet," Mr Incredible said with a smile. "We'll proceed as planned. If you don't find them in half an hour, we'll meet outside and regroup."

With that, the team split up, leaving Mr Incredible and Elastigirl to the outside, and Frozone, Dash and Ultraviolet inside.

Frozone gathered Ultraviolet and Dash together in a group huddle to discuss their next course of action. "Alright, here's the plan. Speedo, you'll search each room with your speed. If you find something, draw them towards us. Vi and I will wait for you here. They'll have to pass us before they exit; this is the only one around. All clear?" Both the children nodded. "Then let's go!"

Dash sprinted off through the off-white hallways and sparkling clean floors. His mother would be glad to live here forever in its perpetual neat state. Before long, Dash came up to the first door. Here goes nothing, Dash thought as he pushed the door open. Could he have uncovered the villains? The door swung open slowly, revealing… a tiny office with nothing more interesting than a model skeleton mounted on a stand.

Maybe this _can_ get slightly boring, Dash thought as he continued down the hallways of the hospital, pausing every second or so to open another door. Along the way he even uncovered the captured hostages, though he only had time to pass them a scalpel before taking off again.

Ten minutes have passed, and Dash felt like he must have covered the entire compound by now. Referring to the map placed on the wall, he realised that there was just one more section to go: the blood bank.

"Aww… Do I really have to go there?" Dash called out to no one. No reply came. "Well, a Super's gotta do what a Super's gotta do…" With that, he was racing towards the blood bank.

The steel vault door was slightly ajar; Dash must have stumbled on something. Pumping his fist into the air as a sign of victory, he took a few steps towards the vault, peeking into the dark interior. Inch by inch, he pulled open the heavy door. Finally it was wide enough for him to enter.

"Hello… Anyone there?" He called out, as the echoes reverberated around the room. Steeping into the eerie room, his eyes fell upon rows of empty shelves. As he walked on, his footsteps seemed to thunder in every direction.

No one's here anyway, better report back to Lucius… Dash thought as he turned on his heels, ready to sprint back to the entrance. Just then he noticed a figure silhouetted by the light outside.

"It's the end of the road for you, kid," came a gruff voice.

Taken by surprise, the only thing he could do was to shout for his sister, though she was more than a thousand feet away, blocked by a labyrinth of hallways.

The last thing he heard was the sound of swishing air as a palm swooped down on his neck, knocking on his windpipe and sending his world into darkness.

Ultraviolet paced along the entrance, turning every few steps along the path. It's been almost fifteen minutes; with his speed, Dash should have finished by now. Something must have gone wrong. Glancing at Frozone, he didn't look too worried, merely leaning against the wall and staring into blank space.

"Hey, Frozone," Ultraviolet called out to the Super, bringing him out of whatever daydream he was having. "Think we should look for Dash?"

"Give the Speedo some time, Vi. He'll be back soon," he replied, waving at Ultraviolet as though trying to drive away the worry littered all over her face.

"Then I'll go and look for him. Alone." She took a few steps towards the first hallway, before an icy wall was formed in her path. Frozone placed a protective hand over Ultraviolet's shoulder, forcing her to turn around and face him.

"Cool it, girl. I can't have you _and_ Dash taking off like that, how am I gonna answer to your parents if anything happens to either of you?"

"Look, Lucius, we're Supers and we know the risks involved in this… Especially me… So just let me go. I'll answer for it, and besides it's me they want."

"No need to go through so much trouble, Violet," came a deep voice as the Frozone's ice wall crumbled to the floor, revealing the three remaining Specialists. Behind the leader, another female Specialist was wheeling along a trolley stacked with test tubes containing blood samples locked into their racks, obviously stolen from here. Beside her stood the last Specialist, up till now the most low-profile member. Smirking, he stepped up to the leader, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I got this one covered, Lance. You two go ahead." Nodding his approval, the leader signalled for his female comrade to move on, wheeling the trolley behind him.

"Take one more step and you're an icicle," Frozone threatened, holding his palm forward. "You're not getting past us; and this is the only exit around."

"Hey Freezer…" His opponent taunted, tossing a limp body to the ground. "Aren't you looking for this little guy?"

"Dash!" Ultraviolet cried out, rushing forward to pick up her brother's body. Feeling for a pulse, she heaved a sigh of relieve. At least he was still alive.

"Well, we'll just have to create our own exit." The leader pulled out a grenade from his belt, tossing it into the far wall to their left. Shielding their eyes from any loose shrapnel, the blast took out most of that section of the wall, leaving a hole big enough for them to leave. Without much resistance, they were outside, moving towards their helicopter and hopefully into the ambush set up by Mr Incredible and Elastigirl.

"You'll have to pass me before you get to them." The Specialist said as he moved into place behind their retreating backs, covering their exit.

"Then you better get ready to move over," Frozone said before forming a group of ice shards, aligning their sharp points towards the opponent. Ultraviolet, who was still crouched beside Dash, looked on as the ice shards were hurtled straight at their opponent. Maybe they could finish this fight… Frozone was more experienced; he'll win for sure.

The events in the following few seconds reminded Ultraviolet just who they were dealing with.

The ice shards seemed to slow down; in fact everything else seemed to. Everything else, of course, except for their opponent who leapt aside in a flash. The second the shards were past his body, they seemed to zoom past him as he landed softly. Raising his head, he was calm and collected, as though nothing was happening.

Meanwhile, Ultraviolet felt the pressure around her body vanish, replaced with a feeling of airiness, as though she was weightless. However that feeling evaporated in a second as everything returned to normal.

"Oh and did I mention… I'm Chronomorphosis, controller of time." The villain got up, smirking at Ultraviolet and Frozone. "Speed it up, slow it down… You'll never touch me."

"We'll see about that," Ultraviolet said as she leapt forward, despite the protests from Frozone. Again, something seemed to slow her down, as she seemed to hang in mid-air, defying the laws of physics itself. It was too late for her to pull out of her jump as her opponent charged towards her at an abnormal speed, delivering a swift kick to her stomach while she was vulnerable. Ultraviolet's hands reacted; moving towards her stomach but that was another mistake, leaving her head exposed to a barrage of blows.

The attack paused for a split second as she hurtled through the air with amazing speed, flipping head over heels and landing with a loud thud on her back. If not for the additional padding in her Super-suit, she may have been severely injured.

"Alright, you're next, Frozone," Chronomorphosis warned, without even casting an eye on the fallen Ultraviolet. From the ground, she could barely see them square off; her whole body was aching and she didn't know if she would risk breaking any bones if she tried getting up. Sounds were the only indicator of the fight's progress, and it didn't seem like there was much action.

Feeling like she should try to get up, Ultraviolet placed her hands by her side, pushing to get at least her upper body off the ground. Careful now Violet, she thought as she sat up, keeping one eye on the fight. At least Lucius was holding up rather well, dodging the attacks though occasionally suffering some hits. Why wasn't he fighting back?

Ultraviolet was about to give a shout out to Lucius when something black streaked up to her side. "Dash! You're fine!" Ultraviolet cried out in surprise, feeling one less load on her mind.

"Yeah, they knocked me out pretty bad just now, but I woke up in time." Pausing for a moment, he averted his sister's gaze. "I don't think you should continue fighting this guy. Go warn Mom and Dad about this. Those two left not too long ago; you'll catch up."

"Dash…" Ultraviolet muttered as he helped her to her feet.

"Just go, and don't worry about us."

Violet nodded as the siblings turned their backs on each other, one charging against his opponent, and the other towards a much dangerous duo, not knowing what other battles she will be up against.

Trivia: This chapter was yet another 'spill-over' chapter; there's just too much information that must be included. The suits they got from Edna were added as an afterthought: How can they stand the freezing cold?


	15. Cameo

Ultraviolet

Chapter 15

Cameo

Frozone's icy shield shattered as Chronomorphosis delivered a kick straight into it. With Frozone holding his attention up front, Dash sprinted up to him from behind, using his speed to knock Chronomorphosis down.

"Frozone, now!" he shouted. Nodding in acknowledgement, Frozone raised his hands as an ice beam shot from his fingertips, arching forward, threatening to immobilise Chronomorphosis for good.

Again he slowed down time, using it to roll to safety. Dash turned his head towards his opponent, knowing that he may be able to counter this ability with his own speed. The sensation was much like running through water; he had to struggle to gain every bit of speed in order to move at a comparably normal speed… for a second at least.

There was a slight lurch as Dash's feet seemed to strike the ground twice as fast, taking him past his opponent and crashing headfirst into another wall, leaving a tiny crater where he hit. Rubbing his forehead, he turned to face his grinning adversary.

"Don't forget: I can speed up time, along with your speed as well." He backed away from Frozone's next attack, keeping both of them at bay with his outstretched hands, threatening to use his powers at the first signs of an attack. It did not daunt Frozone, who charged forward to engage the Specialist.

For the first time Dash thought that it was an impossible fight. He was right, they couldn't touch him… He had no weakness… or did he? Everyone had weaknesses; there was no way his powers were perfect.

Dash watched Frozone in combat from several feet away, as he sent another bunch of ice shards at Chronomorphosis. With a back flip he attempted to dodge the shards. Yet, from Dash's point of view, he did not seem to have used his powers. He watched on as the shards approached his body in mid-air, never changing its speed. In the next second the shards were obscured by his body, before passing out from the other side, leaving Chronomorphosis unharmed.

What the… What just happened? Dash wondered. "Hey… the ice just passed through your body…?" Dash voiced out his thoughts, earning a bewildered stare from Frozone

"No man, he just used those powers again… Didn't you feel it?" Chronomorphosis grinned as he relished the confusion between the two Supers.

"The kid's right, it'll seem that way if you were standing 'outside' as I put it." He sniggered before he continued. "Nature won't have Supers like us messing up time, so it tries to counter each of my actions. As I slow time, it speeds it up afterwards, and vice versa. The result to an outsider is as you see it, Dash. Both objects move at their normal speeds, but in reality I've dodged it."

Dash was trying hard to digest whatever he just said, not helped by the fact that he had no knowledge whatsoever of time and stuff.

Chronomorphosis decided to shorten his thinking time, as he rushed towards Frozone, delivering punches to his stomach while dodging his attacks and finally delivering a knockout punch to his jaw followed by a leg sweep, leaving him sprawled on the ground.

"Frozone!" Dash cried out, watching him fall to the ground with a thud. Chronomorphosis smirked at the young Super, drawing in closer on Dash.

"I'll just finish this right here. You've figured it out, of course. My weakness… Can't have you using it against me. Well, there's always Plan B…"

Dash was stumped. He had no idea what he said was his weakness, but since he said so… He focused instead on something else he said. Plan B…? Dash wondered as he felt another time distortion. His opponent was slowing time… but that can be countered with his Super-speed…

Chronomorphosis leapt forward with a lunging kick, only to have Dash avoid it barely, after using his full speed. It was now a test of endurance, to see which Super will let up in their use of powers. There was yet another close escape for Dash as he ducked under Chronomorphosis's reach. By varying his positions, Dash could barely avoid his attacks, but he can't keep it up much longer.

"What's the matter? Too tired to fight?" The words were way too fast for Dash to catch; he only managed to figure out the meaning long after Chronomorphosis had said it. What he said was true; his opponent was definitely in a better shape than he was. "You're barely keeping up, kid."

Dash was silent, conserving his energy for dodging his opponent's attacks. There had to be some way to break away from his powers… Then he'll be vulnerable.

He sensed movement to his right… Was that Frozone's hand moving? Stay down, Lucius… Dash pleaded silently. The young Super was formulating a plan, but he needed Frozone to come in only at the last part.

The distraction proved fatal. With a kick to his gut, Dash was sent flying through the air, landing near the fallen Frozone. Dash closed his eyes, feigning unconsciousness. The final piece of his plan was in place.

"Looks like this fight is over," Chronomorphosis sneered as he moved in for the final attack.

"Lucius… When I say go, freeze him," Dash whispered, urgency littered all over his voice.

"What?" Frozone mumbled, not fully aware of his surroundings.

"Just do it," he urged. If he were right, Chronomorphosis would be unable to avoid this attack.

He was about ten feet away, taking one step at a time. In three seconds he'll be in range… One… two….

"Now, Lucius!"

The ice beam shot forward, covering the distance between them in a split second, engulfing their opponent in a huge blanket of ice. By the time Frozone had ceased his attack, Chronomorphosis was practically stuck in an iceberg.

"How in the world did you figure that out, Speedo?" Frozone marvelled, as he stared, first at Chronomorphosis, then at Dash.

Dash hid a sheepish grin, ruffling his hair. "Well… I'm not sure how I figured that out, but it worked eventually." For once he was keeping humble.

"Well, whatever it was, you did great." Frozone patted Dash on his back, earning an even wider grin from the younger Super.

"Thanks, Frozone." Dash was about to boast about how he figured it out, when he remembered Violet. "We've got to go outside… try to help Dad, Mom and Vi out…"

A roar of engines from outside, most likely from a large vehicle, prompted Frozone and Dash to rush to the makeshift exit. A massive helicopter zoomed past them, its downwash forcing them to cover their eyes. Within seconds it had manoeuvred through the relatively narrow tunnel leading outside the cavern.

"Well, looks like there's no need for that," Frozone replied, as both Supers wished that at least one of the Incredibles was on board.

Trivia: I had this chapter set up because, honestly speaking, there was no way Vi can handle this Specialist. I can think of a thousand ways in which Violet got kicked, but she can't figure him out by herself. Ken is the least developed character I have, maybe because he doesn't have much in him… which was another reason why I put him here. Anyway, read more about him in Codename: S.P.E.C.I.A.L.


	16. Forget Me Not

Ultraviolet

Chapter 16

Forget Me Not

"I see you've made it, Violet. Too bad your parents were… indisposed and were unable to join us on this flight." The helicopter lifted off, making its way out of the cave, with the lead Specialist at the helm.

_There was white gas all around, diffusing through the wide space though staying mostly below waist level. Violet's sprint took her closer to the fleeing Specialists with each passing second. Suppressing a cough, she approached the Specialists' helicopter. "Mom? Dad?"_

"_Save it, Violet. They're sleeping by the side…" It was the other female Specialist. "You know what the choice is; chase the bad guys or revive the parents. Oh and who knows what we'll do with these stuff," she said with a smirk, indicating the trolley of blood samples they stole._

"Why don't you just cut the crap and get on with the introduction," Violet retorted, as she scanned her eyes around the cargo area behind the Specialist's helicopter. It was rather wide, plenty of space for a fight.

_Groping under the thickening mist, Ultraviolet found the main artery in her mother's neck. Pressing down on it like she was taught, she detected a pulse. At least they're alive, she thought._

"_Last call, Vi. We're leaving without you…"_

At least they're alive…

"Terabyte, Specialist for tactical and technical. I'm quite well trained in combat too… It's my speciality, you can say," she laughed at her own pun, never once looking at Ultraviolet

The super was slightly taller than Ultraviolet, with a build most females would love to strive for, but few would actually achieve. Her muscles were well toned, but not over-sized, with a healthy tanned skin. Her jet-black hair was left hanging like Ultraviolet's, but much shorter than hers was.

"'Terabyte'? You sound more like a techno geek to me," Ultraviolet taunted, hoping to probe more into her powers.

"Well… not exactly. Perfect memory, to be exact. I'm gathering all data on your fights, observing your style, gauging your speed, strength… I know all your weaknesses… I can read all your moves. Anything I've seen, I'll remember."

Leaving Ultraviolet thinking about her words, Terabyte made for first strike with a leg sweep. Caught unaware, Ultraviolet was brought to the ground. She had to roll away from Terabyte's raised foot, which barely missing her stomach. She didn't expect it when Terabyte's fist smashed down on her cheek, almost breaking her jaw.

"I'll enjoy taking you apart piece by piece," Terabyte sneered in Ultraviolet's face. Dragging her up to her feet, Terabyte flung her into the wall, leaving Ultraviolet to pick herself up. Still Terabyte came with her next attack: a kick that left a dent in the wall as Ultraviolet rolled under the attack, turning invisible in the process.

"Finally… More of a challenge," Terabyte said as she backed away from the wall, moving towards a more open area. Meanwhile, Violet was circling around her opponent, waiting for her to let down her guard. You think you know everything about me? Ultraviolet questioned mockingly as she approached Terabyte from the back.

Aiming for the perfect spot, Ultraviolet threw a punch towards her exposed skull. There was no way she could have seen or anticipated that… was there?

With lightning-quick reflexes, Terabyte blocked the blow, following up at once with a right fist which fell short of dislodging a few of Ultraviolet's teeth. Fortunately it was out of Terabyte's range, and it missed. The two Supers fell back to regain their nerves.

"For your information, you only attack three main regions of an opponent, and I've got all of them covered," Terabyte informed. "That is how to use your powers, Violet. You could have learnt that and much more with us…"

That was no fluke… Ultraviolet realised. She knew exactly where I was attacking, and had a plan against it… I can't defeat such powers… unless….

Unless she came up with something new… something not recorded in Terabyte's memories. Something that is totally unexpected…

Maintaining her invisibility, she decided a frontal attack could work. This time, her low kick connected with Terabyte's shin, bringing her down with a satisfying crunch. Finally… she exulted silently, feeling another glimmer of hope… for a split second at least.

Terabyte's head snapped up before she responded with a leg sweep, which brought both Supers sprawled on the floor. While Ultraviolet climbed painfully to her feet, Terabyte was up in a flash, searching for her invisible opponent.

"I may rely on my memories for tactics, but I'm not entirely stupid either. I have experience from other situations, and me being such a good fighter… you don't stand a chance," she proclaimed, smug look plastered over her face.

"I've heard that line so many times today, and look at your little team now… Half its original strength," Ultraviolet jeered in fake contempt, trying to stir up her emotions. "I'll still beat you…"

"Enough talk. Now it gets serious," Terabyte interrupted. "Use your cheap tricks if you want; it won't matter in the end." She turned around to face Ultraviolet, as they stared straight into each other's eyes.

Ultraviolet resisted the urge to tackle her to the ground. How dare she say that my powers were just 'cheap tricks,' while she uses hers without restraint? Ultraviolet thought. Deep inside, her mind seemed to warn her. She knew it herself: Terabyte was making _her_ upset instead.

Ultraviolet dropped her invisibility, ready for Terabyte's attacks. Terabyte smiled in return, raising her arms to strike. Ultraviolet, not wanting to make a mistake, projected a force field around herself, waiting on the defence again.

"How long can you stay in there, Violet?" Terabyte laughed as she circled the spherical force field, occasionally touching the orb as though looking for a weak point.

"Not long," she admitted, dropping her force field whilst leaping into the air… but headed straight into Terabyte's raised knee instead. Flipping head over heels, she landed on the steel floor, vulnerable to all her opponent's attacks. Reaching down, Terabyte lifted Ultraviolet's left leg, holding it firmly by the ankle.

"I break this and it's over, Violet," Terabyte warned, putting a stop to Ultraviolet's struggle at once. "Now surrender, and I'll leave you an exit." There was a tense moment as the two female Supers stared into their opponent's eyes.

"Not without a fight," Violet uttered, hooking around Terabyte's thigh with her free leg and sending the older Super crashing to the ground. That left her some time to recover, as the two Supers faced off, back at square one again.

"You're quite good," Terabyte admitted with a grin. "I haven't had such a good fight in a long time." Glancing down at her feet, she half crouched to pick up two hollow steel pipes, maybe half an inch in diameter and three feet long. With a swift flick of her wrist she threw one to Ultraviolet, who caught it with her gloved hand. "Using a weapon against an unarmed opponent is dishonourable."

Ultraviolet looked at the weapon in her hand for a moment. She had never fought with any weapon, much less such a long and cumbersome one. She won't have an advantage… that's for sure.

"Ready?" Terabyte asked, almost too politely for a professional villain.

Violet's reply was a savage overhand swing, sending the sick sound of metal on metal resounding through their ears, as Terabyte parried it with her own weapon before switching to the offensive. Concentrating on defending, Ultraviolet managed to block off the next few attacks, occasionally coming up with a few failed attempts of her own as well.

"Game over…" Terabyte announced as she hit Ultraviolet's wrist, forcing her to drop her weapon. It hit the floor with a clang, rolling away into the far reaches of the cabin. The next swing was likely to finish her for good… if she did nothing to protect herself. Closing her eyes, Ultraviolet felt the weapon close in on her.

The force field shuddered as the pipe struck the spherical barrier. Violet's eyes snapped open, grinning at the glare from Terabyte. "What's the matter? Can't seem to get in?" Before she could reply, Ultraviolet dropped the force field, pouncing forward to wrestle the weapon from Terabyte's hands. Caught unaware, she was disarmed without providing much resistance.

Ultraviolet scrambled to her feet, grabbing Terabyte's ankle like she did moments before. "I break this and it's all over, Terabyte," Violet mocked, adding pressure to her opponent's fragile ankle. I'm going to enjoy every moment of this, Violet thought.

Without warning the ground under them buckled, sending Ultraviolet sprawled over Terabyte. "What's happening?" Violet asked, as panic flooded her mind. Aerial emergencies like that one off the shores of Nomanisan only made her more flustered. Shutting her eyes, she struggled to gulp deep breaths as she shut out any external distractions.

"Landing…" Terabyte muttered, scampering away from Ultraviolet.

Thankfully the landing didn't take more than half a minute, as the cargo hatch opened; revealing a snowfield amid rusting cars stacked ten high. They had landed in a junkyard.

"Shall we continue outside, or stay here where it's warm?" Ultraviolet asked, trying to hide her shaky voice. She knew that she wouldn't live to see a few more minutes of this…

"It's fine. You won."

"What?" Ultraviolet exclaimed, as Terabyte hung her head low.

"You could have beaten me there," she stated.

"Like you couldn't have done the same?" Ultraviolet retorted, as she calmed herself down.

"True, but you fought back. And now we have no idea what the outcome will be." Ultraviolet couldn't believe they were having this discussion. Now they were discussing who deserved to win? "You'd better get going. Lance doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Ultraviolet's face registered a blank. Lance… had to be her last obstacle. From the cockpit up front she heard a seatbelt being unbuckled, as the Specialist stormed towards her. "I prefer it outside, Violet." The deep voice came from the leader of the Specialist.

She stared wide-eyed at the man called Lance as he grabbed, from among the stuff strewn around, a backpack, a thin long package and a couple of thermos flasks. Throwing one to Violet, he muttered before he wheeled out his stuff on the stolen trolley of blood samples, "Drink up. I'll regret it if you get hypothermia later. Serena, you know where to get yours."

"What about you, Terabyte? Where will you go now?" Ultraviolet asked as Lance disappeared into the thick snowstorm.

"I'm going to pick up my siblings before I come back for what's left of you." There was nothing sinister in her tone, but her choice of words, especially in the last part of the sentence, was disturbing to say the least.

"Your siblings?"

"Anna and Ken… Surely you've met them… I can't believe both of them were defeated like that."

Ultraviolet covered her gaping mouth in shock. Anna she knew was Phobia, whom she defeated this afternoon. Ken has to be that time guy, Chronomorphosis. They were actual siblings? That spawned a whole new bunch of questions. "They're really your siblings?"

"Not really," Terabyte said with a wince. "We just like to think of it that way. Some of us were orphans, some of us…" She looked away, brushing a tear from her eye. Ultraviolet must have hit a raw nerve, bringing up unpleasant memories. "Let me warn you. Lance is not known to show mercy."

Ultraviolet looked on as Terabyte headed for the cockpit. She had to be outside herself, facing her last opponent. Jogging out into the blinding blizzard, she had to shield her eyes, leaving her lost to where her opponent was. The cold was getting to her, despite the thick suit she had on. She suddenly remembered: the thermos flask Lance had given her. Unscrewing the cap, she breathed in the warm vapour escaping from the warm fluid underneath.

Here goes nothing, she thought. Scrunching up her nose, she took a sip from the warm drink. Sweetness spread from her tongue the moment the drink touched it, until she drank it up in one big gulp. The heat seemed to spread all over her body, until she was quite comfortable. She was also pretty sure that the blizzard seemed less intimidating, as she felt that she could see better through the snow. Around her were towering piles of used cars, waiting to be crushed to scrap. Still, there was no sign of her opponent.

"Lance?" Ultraviolet shouted against the raging wind, surprised if anyone can actually hear her through it.

A single bullet whizzed towards her feet, landing in the snow several inches from it. "That was just a warning shot. And call me Heatseeker…"

"Your powers?" Violet probed, asking the obvious.

"You must have seen thermal imaging before. Infrared detectors had replaced my eyesight, which allows me to detect all sources of heat. Right now, orange just stands out against the snow out in the open. Target practice don't get simpler than that, Violet."

Trivia: Again, a desperate cover-up as Violet can't beat the Specialist. Actually, I didn't think Violet could defeat any of them in a fair fight, but that's the story… and she won. By fluke, albeit.

Before I started writing chapters eleven to twenty, I started brainstorming for ideas for each fight. I knew, by Serena's ability, that this was going to be focused on fighting, and that's what I wrote. Each of the fights were supposed to highlight the respective Specialists' training and personality, and I think this fleshed out Serena quite well. Later, I realised that Serena's strange addiction to talk during combat was littered in this chapter, something I added to her personality months later.


	17. Steel Plated Pride

Ultraviolet

Chapter 17

Steel-plated Pride

The space around them was a maze, surrounded by tons of corroded cars stacked sky-high. The Specialist's helicopter had taken off just moments ago, leaving Ultraviolet and Heatseeker alone in this junkyard. Even worse was that her opponent was armed with a sniper rifle of sorts. There was no way she could approach him without being shot at.

Alright, Vi… First task: find cover, she told herself as she scrambled across the snow-filled clearing, towards the nearest pile of cars. Crouching with her back against the freezing metal frames of the cars, she peeked around the edge of her cover, trying to catch a glimpse of her opponent's position.

Still she knew that it's futile if she didn't have a method to fight back. After all, what could she possibly do against a sniper rifle? At least she could defend against it with a force field… until she could not hold on anymore, and the metallic bullet tore through her body…

This is not the time to have such thoughts… she chided herself mentally. However without a plan she was running blind in this junkyard.

There was movement detected from the corner of Ultraviolet's eye. Heatseeker, her unseen opponent had finally stepped out into the open, sniper rifle clutched comfortably in his hands. For the first time Ultraviolet got a good look at his features, though they were rather blurry from thirty metres out in the heavy snowfall.

Quite obvious were his cropped short hair, two slits for eyes and a square jaw. He looked like a military commander with his build, with bulging muscles her father would have been proud of. Standing at maybe six feet and six inches, his intimidating frame would tower over Ultraviolet if she stood next to him.

His eyes scanned each area slowly, taking his time. Ultraviolet watched as he raised the sniper rifle, aiming in the distance away from her; there was a muffled crack, followed by a screech ringing out into the night. It was probably a wild animal; yet he shot it on sight. This man was truly merciless.

"Still hiding?" he called out as he lowered the rifle. "It's only this big; running won't do you any good…" Those grim eyes continued their search for Ultraviolet, as her head ducked back into cover. She was now blind to the danger that may be approaching her that very second.

Like a confirmation of her worst fears, the windscreen from the car behind her shattered, continuing its trajectory through the next car as well. If Ultraviolet didn't do anything now, she was a goner. She had to act on instinct. Putting her body as flat as possible, she rolled under the nearest car. From her prone position, her eyes trailed the approaching feet when it paused on the site where she hid.

"This part is warmer…" he muttered under his breath, kneeling and bending down to peek under the car where Ultraviolet was hiding, staring at her stunned face for a second.

Instinct took over as Ultraviolet's fist shot out; it landed a direct hit between his eyes, forcing him back. Reaching out with her hands, she grabbed hold of the weapon in his hands, wrestling it from him. In hope of disarming him, Ultraviolet slammed his wrist against the underside of the car until he dropped the rifle straight into her waiting palms.

She had every intention to use this rifle against him… After all he had no qualms about shooting a defenceless teenage girl. The weapon's warmth could be felt under her gloves, as Ultraviolet rolled out into the open against her opponent, who was still nursing where he was hit.

"Let's see how you do against your own weapon," Ultraviolet sneered as she raised the scope up to eye level. The sheer weight of the rifle made her grip unstable; she could just drop the thing at any minute.

"I doubt you can hit an elephant fifty metres out with that aim," Heatseeker said with a laugh. Still, Ultraviolet could see him backing away slightly. I'll show him, she told herself. She narrowed her eyes and tried to maintain her aim on his chest. Putting a finger into the trigger guard, she pulled down on the trigger, unsure of how a firearm works with this being her first shot with a rifle. The swaying chains from a crane overhead tested her concentration.

The trigger clicked in place as she jerked her finger inwards from anxiety; a single bullet flew out of the barrel as the rifle's recoil made the weapon jerk straight up. Heatseeker had stopped several feet away, and true to his words the bullet whizzed past his shoulder harmlessly, disappearing into the dark backdrop.

"You missed…" Heatseeker taunted, arms spread out as though asking her to take another shot. "Don't try it if you're incapable of using such a powerful weapon."

Violet flared in frustration as she hurriedly pulled the cocking lever, allowing another bullet to enter the chamber. Taking aim again, she was determined to succeed in this shot. In her mind the warnings about her urge to kill surfaced again; she brushed the thoughts aside as she placed her finger on the trigger. Opposite her Heatseeker had a worried look on his face.

She depressed the bullet in one action, but the trigger won't budge. Clicking the trigger won't work, and with no working knowledge of a gun she was hopeless.

"You shouldn't have loaded two rounds into the chamber, Violet. Now you've jammed up such a good weapon." Heatseeker watched as his weapon was tossed aside casually by Ultraviolet. Now she was really angry. It had to be a fistfight to end this; at least she'd get an outlet to release her fury. Taking a few steps forward, she made to attack Heatseeker.

"Hold it," Heatseeker warned, pulling out a handgun from some hidden part of his suit, raising the weapon till it was level with her head. "I don't want to do this, but you leave me no choice…"

"You can't choose if you want to kill me? Just let me go like your sister did… What's holding you back?" There was an unusual calm in her voice even in the face of death.

"For the sake of the team and what's left of it… For our future and whatever we may be facing… For my pride…" There was a quiver in his voice, as he flicked the safety switch off. With a steady hand he squeezed the trigger; Ultraviolet responded in kind with a force field, as the bullet deflected off the surface causing no harm to her.

"I forgot about that," he muttered as he unloaded the rest of his rounds on the force field. Ultraviolet knew that she couldn't keep this up forever; she formulated a plan as Heatseeker pulled out another magazine of bullets. As he ejected the spent magazine, she dropped the force field, taking off away from her opponent. Counting off the seconds till she heard the next shot, she took an abrupt left, before swerving right back on course. This, she felt, was sure to throw his aim off-track.

That's the way, Vi, she thought as she dodged left, disappearing behind the nearest pile of cars. The stream of bullets told her that Heatseeker was nowhere close to hitting her. Her last turn took her past a pile of tiny Japanese-made cars. Risking a peek behind, she saw that Heatseeker was perhaps fifty metres back, now loading more rounds into his gun.

Now came the unprecedented part of her plan. She needed another place to hide, but not until he was close enough. She scrambled behind the cars, out of Heatseeker's sight and waited. After deliberating for a few seconds, she took a deep breath and peeked to her right.

No Heatseeker.

Jerking her head around, she gaped at the sight of her opponent behind her, whirling her body around as well. Heatseeker's cold stare accompanied an equally unforgiving gun barrel. Staring into his eyes, Ultraviolet realised that his eyes were just two white spheres, without the pupils or iris that normal humans had.

"The chase ends here."

"You don't have to do this," Ultraviolet pleaded again as she backed away, rounding the corner of the car as a shot penetrated the glass inches from her right arm. Keeping her eyes peeled on the approaching target, she hoped to lose her pursuer amongst the maze of cars around.

Ultraviolet's pounding feet passed yet another group of vehicles, what else was there in this junkyard? Behind her the shots had ceased, presumably he was out of rounds, or perhaps waiting for a clear shot. She ran for a full minute, not sure where she was after the random turns she had taken. Slowly fatigue seeped through to her entire system, overpowering even the effects of adrenaline. Her pace was definitely slower; soon she'll have to stop.

"Tired already?" Heatseeker's voice boomed out from around her, masking his position. A scream escaped her mouth as she saw a shadow pass by the opposite block of cars. Squatting down, she cast a force field around herself, keeping its size minimal to conserve strength. At the same time she was resting her tired legs.

A single shot rang out, deflecting off her force field. Just a warning shot, she reckoned. Warning that he's keeping his sight on her. Ultraviolet was out of solutions; maybe she should just give up…

"Why don't you keep the gun and fight me?" She shouted out to the darkness, hoping her taunts could possibly save her.

"Gladly…" He stepped out of the shadows, stowing away his handgun behind his back. "But I have another deal in mind… a challenge. I'll give you a minute's head start. If I can shoot you within five minutes, you'll die. If not I'll let you pass. I'll even tell you how to get there. How about it?"

Ultraviolet nodded, rearing up to full height. Heatseeker grinned at the acceptance, indicating to the tiny watch implanted in his wrist guard. "Five minutes starts… now!"

She shot off into the labyrinth behind her, counting off the seconds till she would be pursued again. Anyway, it'll only be four minutes when she was in any real danger… how hard was that?

_Five minutes and counting._

Trivia: 'Steel-plated Pride' as a chapter name was first thought of for my Economics teacher, who was unfortunately asked to leave the school for being the worst teacher around. I was just wondering how he lived with the insults… truly 'steel-plated'… But as implied, whatever was underneath his pride was much weaker… Different case for Lance, but same… Confused? So am I…


	18. Challenge

Ultraviolet

Chapter 18

Challenge

Ultraviolet's boots pounded against the snow as she wove through the piles of rusting cars. More than a minute had passed by now, and four minutes later she would be led into the mastermind's lair… again.

For a second she wondered if her force field could hold up for four minutes… if it could, she would win, even if she were found.

But what happens if it fails?

Brushing both thoughts aside, she knew that she had to delay time as much as possible. She turned behind and was satisfied to see that Heatseeker was not immediately behind her. She just had to keep it up for just a few more minutes.

Finally she succumbed to temptation, giving in to her fatigued legs as she sat down among the rusting cars around. Her eyes scanned the area surrounding her, and while she rested she took in every possible escape route, and Heatseeker's direction of attack.

Before she could finish, a single bullet shot from her right, lodging itself in the metal frame of the car behind her. In a flash, Ultraviolet was back on her feet, scrambling off in the opposite direction. Complacency had got the better of her, and if it weren't for that missed shot, she would have been dead.

"Come on, Violet," she whispered to herself, taking a hard right turn in an attempt to shake off her pursuer. Jerking her head back every few seconds, she barely noticed where she was going when a streak of yellow leapt in front of her. With a scream, she came to a halt, as Heatseeker came into focus. In the back of her mind, she was screaming "force field" to herself, but the command seemed to register in her mind just milliseconds before he pulled the trigger, deflecting the bullet off the solid barrier. She breathed a sigh of relief as the bullet flew off, while Heatseeker's eyelids furled up in frustration.

"You won't last long under that, you're still too weak."

Violet didn't have time to argue as another volley of shots bounced off her force field. Each bullet was a strain on her energy and she knew that sooner or later the force field would vanish, like it did when she tried to save her father much earlier in the year.

There was a moment of respite, as Heatseeker reloaded his handgun, but not for long. Again another barrage of bullets was stopped by the force field, and Ultraviolet counted off the shots until he had to reload again. The last bullet shot from the barrel, and to Ultraviolet's horror it pierced through the purple orb, barely missing her shoulder as she rolled away in the last possible second. Heatseeker extracted another magazine of rounds clipped to his belt.

"This time, I'll make sure it hits," he sneered as he mechanically reloaded his gun. Ultraviolet didn't have to be warned; she was already headed away from him while she could. While she continued her run at her fastest, Heatseeker seemed to have no problem catching up, loaded handgun poised dangerously in his firm grip. Ultraviolet wasn't even paying attention as his leg swept under hers, taking her down to the ground.

In the next second, she had turned her body around, yelping in shock as the cool metallic barrel was levelled at her head.

"You lose, Violet." The trigger finger tightened slowly, so close to Ultraviolet's ear that she could hear the internal mechanism clicking. The cold stare was that of a killer's, and Ultraviolet knew that pleading wouldn't help.

Maybe you should learn to accept it, Vi, she told herself. Closing her eyes, she tried to brace herself, knowing the next (and probably the last) thing she'll hear is a gunshot…

BEEP… BEEP… the jarringly loud alarm screeched in her ear; she felt the handgun lower and the tension in her body vanished as quickly as it came. "Alarm for five minutes," a cool female's emitted voice from the digital watch. Ultraviolet's eyes peeled open as the tremor in her body subsided.

That means…

"Congratulations, you survived." Heatseeker's voice was just as cold as before, his face still expressionless as he held out a hand, helping Ultraviolet to her feet. "Follow me," he muttered, turning on his heels and walking at a steady pace. His behaviour was such a change from half a minute ago, Ultraviolet felt like she was walking behind some robot instead of the leader of a team of Supers.

Ultraviolet had to quicken her step to keep up with the striding Specialist. He stopped in front of an ordinary pile of cars, pulled open the door of the one at waist-level and depressed its handbrake. There was a faint whirling as some hidden mechanism was set in motion. "Wait here," he muttered, leaving Ultraviolet alone as the pile of cars beside her sunk underground and a platform rose from the hole beneath.

Heatseeker returned with the trolley, blood samples stolen from the hospital. "Take this down with you and save his henchmen some trouble."

Ultraviolet stared into his eyes, and perhaps she had missed this in the heat of the battle, she realised that he did not have the pupils or iris that normal humans had. His eyeballs were just white spheres; the more she stared at him the narrower his eyes got, until it was just a line on his mask.

"Quit staring and get going," he snapped, taking his hands off the trolley.

"When will you drop the 'tough leader' image?" Ultraviolet asked, daring to voicing out what she had thought about during the battle. There was a long pause, until Ultraviolet decided to ask another question. "Why don't you take them away from all this fighting?"

Them_…_ The Specialists…. Just four innocent youths?

"Can you? Can you bring yourself away from this hero stuff? I can't believe we were beaten by someone like you." For a second it seemed like it was said in spite, but a grin spread across his face. It didn't look like the first time he did that; it must have been lost, buried under his responsibilities as a leader. Wheeling the trolley onto the platform for Ultraviolet, he waited as the Super stepped onto the black platform.

"Good luck, Violet." With that, he pressed a button on his glove, and the platform sank slowly into the darkness underneath. In the final seconds before all light was lost, she looked up, catching a glimpse of a military helicopter gliding overhead. Then, she knew… they had come.

The end is near, Violet… 

The platform came to a halt cavern, lit up by several fluorescent lamps around the rocky walls. Ultraviolet scanned the room, catching sight of a single path out of this place. It looked like a lengthy tunnel, identical to the one she had walked in when she was kidnapped. The lights at its base seemed to stretch on forever, far beyond what Ultraviolet's eyes could see. Sighing, she stepped off the platform and made towards the tunnel.

Perhaps the light around her gave a false sense of safety, or Ultraviolet's fatigue was catching up to her, but she failed to detect a swift movement overhead. Behind her, the platform was rising back to the surface, its whirl muffling out the sounds when four sets of feet landed around her.

Ultraviolet was caught unaware, to say the least. Her arms were raised too late, barely in time to block the flashes of steel with a force field. The loose-fitting clothes, much like a ninja's garb, covering her opponents stood out against the bright light but covered much of their robotic body.

Using robots for guards, that's just like his style… Ultraviolet thought as they circled around her. It was then that she realised that she doesn't know the name of whoever was behind this, the so-called 'saviour' of the Specialists.

She dropped the force field, doing a back flip over two of the robots and landing nimbly on her feet. For a second the four robots glanced around the cavern in confusion, unable to pinpoint her exact location as she had turned invisible at that exact moment. Ultraviolet took her chance, as she set her sights on the nearest guard.

The first guard fell to the ground clutching its midriff as Ultraviolet delivered a boot to where its stomach would be. The next couple of punches, combined with a high boot to its metallic cranium, left it slumping to the ground with a realistic groan. Before the remaining trio could converge on her, she was gone again, withdrawing against the nearest wall. One of the guards, which appeared to be the leader, ordered them to fan out with a swift motion of its hand. Silence permeated the entire cave as everyone in it waited…

One of the robots wandered near the cave's walls. It didn't know what hit it as its head was smashed against the wall, leaving a gash in its metal covering and rendering it out of commission. Smiling to herself, Ultraviolet stalked the leader of the group, forcing it to the floor before breaking the internal circuits connecting to its head with a vicious twist applied to the neck. The dislodged piece of metal rolled for a moment and the limp body she was holding slumped to the floor.

Seeing the smoking remains of its comrades, the last of the guards leapt into the air, disappearing from wherever he came from. "So much for human intelligence," Violet muttered aloud as she turned visible again. With her eye set on the tunnel, she took a deep breath and continued forward.

Trivia: Using the challenge was another cheap cover-up to allow Violet to pass. And in the last paragraph above, the 'robot' running away was meant to show the artificial intelligence of their robots to the point of abandoning their comrades when beaten. Just my way of justifying the use of humans over robots (for the Specialists anyway).


	19. Full Circle

Ultraviolet

Chapter 19

Full Circle

Ultraviolet emerged into yet another underground chamber, this time it was a familiar control room. It was where she fought Mirage several weeks ago, still equipped with a massive computer in its centre. It was also where she discovered how they were controlling Mirage, through a neural implant, to manipulate her.

Again she wasn't alone in the room; seated at the main computer was the mastermind of it all, the ultimate puppeteer pulling the strings. Ultraviolet closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wishing for the strength needed to stop this evil. As she approached the figure, it responded by standing up.

From the person's figure Ultraviolet guessed that it was a man, maybe in his mid thirties and standing at six feet, with jet-black hair. His muscles were much smaller than her father's was, but Ultraviolet had a feeling his powers didn't come from his strength.

He started clapping, a slow and even rhythm whose echo resounded throughout the room. He opened his mouth, and the voice that came out was deep, much like the one he projected for her when she was kept in his lair. "Congratulations for making it so far, Violet. I was afraid they'd really kill you along the way…"

"And you'd see that I get killed in the end?" Ultraviolet interrupted, stopping about thirty feet from the villain.

"No, no… Wasn't my intention clear enough? I want you to join us, Violet. Those obstacles were to make sure you were up to the mark, and I daresay you've exceeded our expectation."

"For your information, I've just disbanded the Specialists… one member at a time…"

"What's stopping me from forming another? I'm already making an exception accepting such an old student, but your talents make up for it. You can have everything you want; just say the word…"

"Keep on waiting, it'll never happen," Ultraviolet snapped, earning a look of disdain from the villain.

"Rude… I would've expected a girl to be well mannered, but clearly your… upbringing… is not up to standard…" Ultraviolet felt anger welling up inside her. Now he was insulting her parents as well… She charged forward, not even trying to restrain her fury. However, her opponent remained nonchalant to her attack, maintaining his calm as he snapped his fingers once… twice… thrice…

Ultraviolet felt several strong hands grabbing her shoulders, restraining her movement. She snapped her head around, only to stare into the bulges that passed for eyes. She estimated that there were five of them, two of which were holding her limbs, preventing her escape. Her futile struggle was re-intensified as her unknown opponent swept up to her, almost gliding on his legs. He leaned so close to Ultraviolet that she could feel his breath on her cheek.

It was then that she got a good look at his features. The black hair highlighted the long thin scars covering his face, running mainly on his cheeks and forehead. The azure eyes would have looked good on someone less evil. Not that Ultraviolet found him good-looking… he was tainted with something… an aura of sorts… that made him unattractive to her. He was more like a father, with a stern gaze and steady speech.

"I would like to finish you off right here, but no point spilling blood on my hands…" His voice trailed off as his head drew back, smirk spread all over his face. Ultraviolet resisted the urge to deliver a heel to his head, calming herself instead by gulping in air.

"Exactly _who_ are you?" She mused aloud, not expecting an answer, but he did anyway.

"Me? I'm nobody… Nameless, you may say… But you can call me…" Another guard came up to them, whispering something into his ear and interrupting his words mid-sentence. Ultraviolet, not paying attention to the guard, only managed to pick up the hushed reply.

"Send five batches. Use the second-grade troops if you have to, and remember to capture them alive."

Who was he referred to, the Specialists? Or did her family manage to get here in time? Either way, she won't want to know how much five 'batches' of soldiers were.

"Still using robots to do your dirty work? Why don't you just replace your Specialists with robots instead? You did a replica of me that time…" Ultraviolet asked. She had thought of this question long before, yet it was only now that she got a chance to ask him.

"The robots are only for guard duty, training purposes and others… Things you can't get humans to do for free. It's useless to have mindless goons under my charge, even with artificial intelligence, once the programme that holds them together is corrupt, the team is gone. It's important for them to have some humanity as well… the humanity that keeps them loyal…" His voice trailed off as he snapped his fingers again, commanding an unseen projector to emit images on a blank wall for Ultraviolet to see.

For a few seconds she could make no sense of the graphics in front of her… sprays of sparks erupted in random directions, and black smoke was obscuring most of the screen. After a few seconds of intent staring, she made out a streak of yellow from under the smoke… There was a crash as a robot guard was sent crashing to the ground by none other than Serena, also known as Terabyte, of the Specialists. Gunshots could not be heard… And yet the number of guards were not decreasing, merely filling up gaps left by their comrades. Terse commands flew from both sides, most notably from Lance, who was taking out more guards than she could count.

"As you can see, this is the loyalty that makes them return to their master and father. They know that they're indebted to me, and to get them to repay this debt is a characteristic you can't get in a robot."

The logic was warped, yet Ultraviolet understood every part of it. He was just using them, exploiting their kindness. This was how he made them commit such crimes against other Supers. "How can you make them do such things against their will?" Ultraviolet cried, tugging at the arms that restrained her while a tear rolled down her cheek.

"You're right… I can't. They won't do this if they didn't like it, would they? You think they were forced into it? No, naïve Violet, they each have a reason to hate Supers. I taught them how to get revenge. I taught them everything they know. They won't turn back even if you interfered. But I've trained them well… they will remain loyal." He finished his speech with a smirk, stepping in front of Ultraviolet again.

Were they really beyond redemption? It seemed that he had it all planned: save them, then make them work for him. And if it were true that they were returning to him, why was he resisting them by sending troops? Desperate, Ultraviolet took one last chance at stopping the menace.

"Why don't you fight me one on one? Or are you scared of me?" Ultraviolet's taunts were met with a snort of laughter from her opponent.

"I've said it before, I won't want to kill you here. Enough questions. Take her away." The robots tugged at her arms, restraining most of her body movements while forcing her into a march. Ultraviolet's head was held low, lifting her feet barely off the smooth floor and taking one slow step at a time. Then, as though she had come to a decision, she stopped walking completely, turning towards the man behind her.

"Not if I can help it," she muttered, pulling her arms free while following up with a leg sweep, taking down three of the guards around her. The two that managed to jump away were returning for yet another attack, only to come up against Ultraviolet's force field. Ultraviolet stared at the two targets outside her protective sphere, grinning in anticipation of what she can do to them.

They're only robots… You can take them out without any guilt, can't you, Violet? She told herself as she dropped the force field, delivering a lethal kick to one of the converging robots. The other landed safely, only to be taken out by quick strikes to its metal skull.

"Come on, I'll take on any one of you," she cried as she jumped on one of the fallen robots, wrenching its arm and causing a satisfying crunch of broken wires underneath its metallic covering. It lay limp, while Ultraviolet grabbed the weapon laid upon its waist: a dagger, perhaps six inches long, with a gleaming blade. With a swing, she tested the weapon on its former owner, surprised at how effectively it cut through the thin metal.

I've done it… I've found the strength to be a better Super! Smiling to herself in glee, she whipped the blade across her chest level, slicing another charging guard in its torso, before striking it with a kick. As it fell back, she pounced onto it, stabbing the blade straight into where a human heart would be.

"That's the way, Violet." The deep voice came from behind her, yet she found the encouragement pleasing to her ears. Deep inside, she found herself craving for another kill.

The last of the five guards was still on the ground. Ultraviolet stalked steadily up to it, grabbing its head from behind. She looked up, staring into the man who was pushing her on. He was the villain; after this he'd see that she's not one to be trifled with.

Her lips turned into a grin as she stabbed the dagger into the robot's neck area, as all movements ceased at once. _That_ was her new self… The villain will regret this…

Claps issuing from her main opponent broke the brief silence.

What? Ultraviolet thought as she let go of the limp metal body. I just took out all of his guards. Why is he so happy then?

"You know why I choose to use robots?" He walked up to one of them, picking it up with one hand. "You don't think of it as a crime if you 'kill' one of these," he replied in answer to his own question, tossing the robot carcass aside. "It numbs your instincts to kill… until you take the life of a real human… then you don't feel any different from taking out one of these."

Ultraviolet reeled away from the guard in shock, lowering her head to see for herself: the dagger embedded in its neck. She did feel that it wasn't a big deal to do it back then; but now… will she feel the same if it were another human? She was playing into his trap, and now she's in too deep to do anything about it.

"I must say you caught on fast enough, some people just refuse to do it after I told them my intentions… Looks like you _are_ a natural member for us… Just a few more training sessions and you'll be ready I suppose." He walked towards Ultraviolet, holding out a hand for her.

With a slight twitch in her eye she spat into his gloved hand, shoving it out of the way. Rolling under his reach, she stopped by the guard, pulling out the dagger she had driven into his neck. Standing up, she gripped the dagger firmly by her side.

"Then may my first kill be the last," she declared, pointing the dagger straight at her opponent. "May I be forgiven for what I'm about to do," she whispered to herself, closing her eyes…

Trivia: Read this: I did not give my main villain a name. That means… awkward references to 'the villain' every time I mention him!

One of the problems I found after writing ninety percent of the story was how to justify the villain's use of humans for Specialists, while he uses robots for training. The former was answered in the previous chapter, and the latter was answered here. This made me wonder: how much evil genius is there in my head…


	20. Beyond Violet

Ultraviolet

Chapter 20

Beyond Violet

Ultraviolet's eyes peeled open slowly, taking in every detail around her. Her opponent was calmly flexing his fingers, crouching down in a defensive position. She took the chance, swinging the dagger in her right hand as she strode forward, aiming for the kill. She could see, for a fleeting moment, her opponent looking up with a smirk over his face.

Ultraviolet's dagger cut air as he dodged it within a split second, reappearing several feet away. Ultraviolet stopped for a second, using her momentum to leap into the air with yet another slash. This time, he literally disappeared out of sight as Ultraviolet landed, panting as she looked around for her opponent.

"You never learn, do you?" Ultraviolet whirled around, just as her opponent's feet landed softly behind her. How did he get behind her so fast? Clenching her teeth, Ultraviolet lunged forward again, thrusting the dagger straight towards his chest…

Her arm was halted when he grabbed her wrist, smashing it on his knee and forcing her to drop her weapon. With a swift kick to her shin, she was down on the ground. Ultraviolet was sure that it was the same move Phobia had used on her earlier in the day… no doubt he was their teacher.

His arms wrapped around her neck, pulling her to her feet. "It's useless… You should have known it was useless coming up against me. Now I'll send you to the ending you deserve…"

"Let her go!"

The shout successfully distracted her opponent. With a tug she pulled herself free, scrambling away from her captor while stealing a glance to whoever had saved her.

The Specialists were framed against the main entrance. Lance, with his handgun trained on his mentor, took a few steady steps towards them, while the team followed closely behind. Ultraviolet glanced first at the Specialists, then at their mentor, who was wearing a stern frown.

"I remember clearly telling you that if you failed me, there's no returning here? Serena, surely you would have remembered… But I must congratulate you on taking out quite a number of enemies outside… that's quite a first for you guys…"

Lance, as the leader, spoke up for the group. "We came here for Violet… Now let her go and we'll leave in peace."

"Let her go?" He echoed, laughing as though he just heard a joke. After a few seconds he was serious again. "Why would I? You know what plans I have for this girl."

Ultraviolet was about to attack again, enraged at being referred to as 'this girl', but she was restrained as Lance shouted once again. "Violet! We'll get you out without risking your life." Turning back to his mentor, he continued. "In exchange for this…" Signalling to Anna, she wheeled out the trolley of stolen blood samples. "We know that you want this badly…"

"Bad enough for me to give her up?" He glared back at Ultraviolet, as though seriously considering the thought.

"Only you know the answer to that," Lance countered, maintaining eye contact with him all this while.

"You already know the answer, my dear child." As soon as he said that, more robot guards surrounded the Specialists. Ultraviolet gave a scream or protest. She was the cause of all this fighting, and she should be the one who should settle this. To her right, the Specialists were engaging the robots with extreme speeds, taking them out before they could get up. A series of gunshots littered the silent room, rivalling only Ultraviolet's scream.

"Wait!"

At that moment, the Specialist felled the last robot. The fighting ceased as everyone in the room stared intently at her.

"I'm the one you're after… I'm the one who should be fighting for my freedom." Lance was about to interrupt when she cut him off. "No, Lance, I can do this." She turned back to her adversary while the Specialists watched on, silently observing the scene before them.

All the distractions seemed to fade away from Ultraviolet's vision as she focused on a single target. Keeping her mind as blank as possible, she let a single thought surface from time to time: She had to win, by any means necessary. This was the final battle; the fifth she had today. The more she stayed stationary, the more battle fatigue seemed to spread through her body.

For a moment Ultraviolet closed her eyes, as her mind was shut off for just a second…

She felt movement in front of her, signalling for her to open her eyes. Her arms came up in time to block the first blow; Ultraviolet's fist shot up in a counter-attack, but hit nothing but air. Her opponent's foot connected with her chin a second later, sending her reeling. His next attack was halted by a force field, and for a second both froze. As soon as Ultraviolet dropped the force field, the pace escalated, with Ultraviolet sending futile blows to her opponent, and him returning in kind.

Ultraviolet barely had time to think of her next attack; her body guided her actions in the fight. Her punches were mostly blocked, but a couple of shots still managed to hit their mark. Her opponent's attacks were few and far between, but each hit seemed to take a piece out of the fatigued Ultraviolet. Soon she found her strength weakening, as her heart felt like it was going to give way at any minute. She aimed for a kick to her opponent's head, but again found her attack swiping nothing.

"Still too slow…" he muttered, delivering a kick to the defenceless Ultraviolet. As she fell to the ground, she noticed an object gleaming at her opponent's feet. It was the dagger she had used just a few minutes ago. Reaching out for it, she hid it inconspicuously between her gloved fingers as she slid her palm face-up in one fluid motion. Still he did not seem to realise she had hid a hidden weapon. Satisfied, she rolled away from him, baiting her opponent to come closer.

"Shouldn't you just stop trying to run?" Ultraviolet felt his feet stop beside her, and his breath on her cheeks. He was close to her now… too close for her to miss. Before he could say another word, she swung the dagger upwards, revealing it from under her fingers. Gripped firmly in her enclosed fist, the blade drew a semicircle around her faster than the eye can see, as her opponent drew himself back in haste.

It was too late for him. The sharp blade grazed his cheek, leaving a thin line where it cut. He reached for his face, feeling for the wound.

"Why you…"

His threat was unfinished as Ultraviolet went one step further. Whipping the dagger around, she stabbed it straight into his right thigh, sending him screaming in pain as she let go of the weapon, leaving it in its place. He tumbled to the ground as his right leg gave way, just as Ultraviolet climbed to her feet.

"Now you pay for your crimes, villain," Ultraviolet cried, making for one final attack, when out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the Specialists around her. Behind her, she heard a weapon being cocked.

"That's enough, Violet. We don't want any one of you hurt. Just leave and we won't bother you again," he urged.

"Can't you see that he's exploiting you?" Ultraviolet said as she whirled around to face the Specialist. "He's using you, and you're playing straight into your ploy. You're the ones who should be stopping what you're doing."

Lance fell silent to this argument; instead he lowered his gun. "We owe him, Violet… Who else will have us out there?" Behind her, Ultraviolet heard Serena and Anna help their mentor to his feet.

"You can stop this, I'm sure there's people out there who will forgive you…"

"People like your family, Vi? They couldn't understand you, and now you want them to accept four ex-villains?"

"You leave me no choice," Ultraviolet announced as she turned around. Serena and Anna were holding up the villain, who maintained a straight face despite the immense pain he was feeling.

"Neither do you, Violet," The villain answered for Lance, as three more robotic guards dropped from the ceiling. Two of them delivered kicks to Serena and Anna, sending them on the retreat, while the third supported their master from behind. The Specialists gathered around Ultraviolet, stunned by this turn of events.

"Hold it," The villain called out to the Specialists. These aren't normal soldier robots I got here. With one push of a button I'll have the whole place in flames."

There was a brief silence, before Serena asked quietly, "Is that true, Lance?" Ultraviolet looked around at the Specialists around her. Their expression said it all: it wasn't a threat. He can, and probably will burn them to their death.

"It was a self-destructing bomb I developed, designed as a last resort for base defence, capable of setting this whole place on fire…"

The villain gave a curt but sinister laugh, interrupting Lance. "No time to explain, Lance. Make a decision now. Get to me with everything you've got, and lose everything along the way… or retreat?" The two robots supporting him was now helping him walk away from the Specialists and Ultraviolet, while the remaining one stood guard. Ultraviolet knew: this was the robot capable of blowing them all up.

"Violet, you have to trust us now," Lance commanded softly from behind her. "Your force field can stop it…"

"Wait, Lance." Serena cut off her leader, gaining the attention of everyone around before continuing. "You haven't even told us what that thing does, are you sure there's no other method?"

"There's no time to explain. Besides, haven't we got the best method there is? Vi, we trust you. Now do the same for us."

Ultraviolet felt four sets of eyes training on her, putting immense pressure for her. This was close to her limits now; she just wanted to shut it all out.

But she can't.

The cold stare from the robot was like a time bomb, ticking away till it explodes. Behind it was the retreating villain. She may have lost her only chance to bring him down. Yet the only thing that stands between them was…

The metallic body of the robot was ripped apart by the force of the bomb, sending flames spewing out more than thirty feet away.

Tiny cinders bounced off the force field, keeping the fire from reaching the Specialists and Ultraviolet. There was a brown fluid flowing from the charred remains of the robot, igniting as soon as it came into contact with heat. Within seconds the room was a burning inferno.

"That was what they could do," Lance muttered as the team stared at the destruction around them in awe. The flames were licking waist-high at the machines around them, burning away protective layers of metal while sparking off smaller fires in the machines.

"Right… now how are we getting out?" Ken asked, who had kept his silence up to now.

"I haven't thought of it yet," Lance admitted, earning shouts of dismay from the group.

"What? That's brilliant, Mr Leader," Ken joked in spite of the tense situation, as Ultraviolet felt herself pulled into a tighter spot. The fire was not getting any smaller, and there was only a circle of about ten feet around them that was not burning.

Ultraviolet's suit, meant to retain heat, was not meant to prevent them. She could feel sweat pouring out of her skin, accumulating all over her back and making her even more uncomfortable. This was it, she thought. I've failed to stop this villain and now I'm going to die from the heat. Just great…

Lance finally spoke after a moment. "Actually, there is one way out… for us four anyway. Our suits can insulate us from the heat, allowing us to escape, but Violet… I'm not too sure about you."

"Wait, there may be a way." Serena's words grabbed the attention of the five Supers. "There is an escape hatch around here. In fact…" She bent down and tugged at an almost invisible latch, revealing a dark hole. "It's almost like a slide, just hop in and you'll come out in the escape tunnel." There was another pause as the team turned to Ultraviolet. "You go first," Serena said, holding the hatch open for her.

"Should I? I mean, Anna's younger, she should get out first…"

"I know how to take care of myself… I'm a Specialist! Besides, you can't hold out for long in that thick suit, you'd better go first… We'll survive." Anna's assurance was not enough to convince Ultraviolet.

"I still think…"

"Now isn't the time to argue, Violet," Lance interrupted. Nodding to Serena, the two of them grabbed Ultraviolet by her limbs, forcing her legs into the dark hole despite her protests.

"Hey! You can't do this…"

"Yes we can…" The team crouched around her, as she was held in an awkward position with her body halfway into the tunnel. Using her hands to hold herself up, Ultraviolet looked at the Supers around her.

"I'm sorry I can't fight with you guys… but if you continue to be misled by that villain, I will have to bring you down… someday…"

"The truth is… we're not sure on whose side we're on right now." There was a rumbling sound above them, as Lance glanced up. "We'll talk later. You go first, we'll follow up at once."

Ultraviolet nodded, looking into each of the Specialists' eyes, as they smiled back in return…

The moment was interrupted when there was a couple of screws fell down onto them, as they made out a shadow looming overhead. Everyone looked up at the falling piece of debris, a large metal plate threatening to crush everyone underneath.

"Go! Now!" Lance shouted as Ultraviolet released her grip. The air above her was momentarily heated, followed immediately by a cooling sensation as her head ducked into the escape slide. Though she was rapidly gaining speed, she could hear a massive crash behind her, before all noise ceased.

"No!" Struggling to climb back, her gloved hands scraped against smooth metal in a futile attempt. She had no way of knowing if the Specialists survived or not. As she slid on, she had only one thought…

They were innocent… just misguided…

The escape slide ended right where she had started: the cavern below the junkyard. Dragging her feet, she pressed the button that will lead her out of the cave, away from the Specialists. As the platform rose, she felt a wave of pity for the Specialists. She was the cause of everything… now they were gone…

The guilt struck her as she emerged from the subterranean lair. It was still dark, presumably about three a.m. in the morning. She was in there for barely two hours, and she was a changed person.

In front of her eyes she saw their helicopter…

She turned away from it, as though it had asked her what she did to its owners. She couldn't face up to it… She had to go home.

According to the road sign, the main road was about two miles away, and the suburbs was another ten miles or so, so by the time she started walking, Violet had plenty of time to reflect on her actions. Her rhythmic footsteps quickened as she thought, and soon, her brisk pace was just short of a jog.

Yes, they did wrong in the past, but they could be forgiven…

They knew the risk of being a Specialist, and they paid the price for being one…

They had skills beyond hers, surely they'll be able to escape…

The thoughts gathered, one after another, until she entered the neighbourhood. By then, the sun was up; the warmth bathed her tired body. She felt as though she would just collapse if she stopped; her fatigued body was help up by the effects of adrenaline. Her legs moved as though on autopilot, steering her towards her home.

It was early enough that most people were still asleep, a fact which Violet was thankful for, as she trudged unabated to the doorsteps of the house. Her hand shivered as a finger depressed the doorbell.

The door swung open as Helen's outstretched hand pulled the door open. Violet's eyes scanned the room; her mother was in fact seated stiff as a board on the couch, the dark rings around her eyes signalling a sleepless night before. Her father had his head propped up with his hand in his armchair, whose half-closed eyes opened the moment he heard the door open. Dash had dozed off with one arm sprawled on the sofa, the other clutching a soundly sleeping Jack-Jack. Helen sprung up from her seat in an instant, rushing to the open door, followed closely by Bob.

"Vi! You're back! You were away the whole night, we were afraid you… I mean, now that you're back, we can… I mean…" Helen blurted out, as she nudged Bob to say something. Bob was struggling to keep awake; managing only a yawn as Violet stood motionless in the doorway.

Violet pulled the mask off her face, keeping it in her hand as she muttered some inaudible words.

"Honey? Are you alright?" Helen asked immediately, shaking Bob awake to examine their daughter.

"…Not my fault… they were prepared for it…"

Helen waited as Violet finished her words, though she only caught half of it. Barely having time to process her words, Helen listened out as Violet's lips moved again.

"I'm home…"

With those two words, Violet collapsed into her mother's arms, taken by her fatigue. Almost at once, the world went dark as her body shut her off for some much-needed rest. Smiling, Helen reached for her daughter's mask, putting it on the table before helping Vi up to her room.

"Rest well, my dear child…"

Trivia: The last part of the story was supposed to show Violet's acceptance for this 'defeat', and that she did not sink into her 'solitary confinement' like in chapter ten. So much for a warm and fuzzy ending…

Oh, and Ultraviolet translates directly to 'Beyond Violet', but on the electromagnetic spectrum… not kidding… Ok, to spare all you non-physics people, Ultraviolet encompasses what this fic is about, Violet becoming a new hero _without gaining new powers_, and therefore becoming 'beyond' her old self.

With that, I draw an official close to the main story of Ultraviolet.


	21. Codename S P E C I A L

Ultraviolet: Codename S.P.E.C.I.A.L

Author's notes: Ok, I know what you're thinking: wasn't the story completed? Yes, I said so myself, that the _main_ story of Ultraviolet was completed. Like the specials you get in a DVD, this post-story extra will cover the backstory of the Specialists as well as some other content that has been rotting away in the back of my folder. Expect about ten chapters (I haven't decided how much I want to write yet), in addition to some edits from the previous chapters. Author notes from chapter 1 to 20 has been removed, and end notes have been replaced with a trivia section, which I hope will allow readers to understand exactly what went into the story, and what didn't.

In case you're thinking this is just a regular side-story, it's not. The ending will tie in with my future-future story (whose preview will not be released here _yet_). It's still kept under wraps, but it'll be ready as soon as I get some ideas. In the meantime, do read this story and review if possible. It's really just a collation of side stories that will hopefully explain their motives, goals, motivations etc…

The Incredibles section is kinda slow these days… Everyone out there… Update!

This chapter will be a long one; you have been warned…

Chapter 21

Codename S.P.E.C.I.A.L

The mansion was probably abandoned more than ten years ago, after its owners vanished without a trace, and banks failed to acquire it legally. It now stands as a monument, somewhat a playground for children when they want to spook themselves, or for paranormal investigation squads to explore. At this moment, bathed in moonlight, the house was now a temporary shelter for a certain group of Supers.

Through the eyes of Lance, also known as Heatseeker, the mansion interior was nothing more than patches of blue or green. There was little to find, even in the bedrooms. The refrigerator was a spawning ground for bacteria; the couch was covered in moss and the bathrooms were perpetually flooded up to ankle height. This place was so far from home.

In his mind he could still remember the burning central command room, and the orange flames that were imprinted in the back of his mind. It had, after all, been a part of his home, as it has been for the past seventeen years. He'd never expect what it was like to be driven away from home… except the same thing had happened to him when he was three.

_Lance rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the blur forming in his eyes. Was it normal for a three-year-old to start losing his sight? He'll ask Mom when she awakens, and if she were in a good mood… or else he'd be in for a night of beating again._

_The child got up to his feet, taking a few cautious steps to prove that he wasn't going blind. His tiny feet brought him to the kitchen, and as he stepped on the linoleum, there was a moment of darkness. Stumbling on his unstable legs, Lance lay sprawled on the floor as his sight returned. His sigh of relieve was punctured by muffled sobs. Tears were running down his cheeks now. In reflex he raised his fingers up to his eyes, brushing away the tears._

_When he opened his eyes the world was dark again. Blinking in rapid succession, Lance tried to shake it off like the previous time. It had to work… He couldn't be blind… He was just a kid…_

_As his eyelids shut and opened, he realised that he was gaining a new form of sight. The wooden kitchen counter was now a deep shade of green; the toaster was dark blue and as he looked at his feet, he could see a trail of his footprints in shades of orange and yellow. In fact, as he held his arms up, the whole length of it appeared orange, as though he has jaundice or some form of strange illness. Yet he knew, in his heart, that this wasn't due to his body, but rather his eyesight._

_All these were too strange for him to handle. He took a few steps and bumped into the fridge, shortly after he backed up against the kitchen counter. Looking up, he saw a swirl of red and orange, and reached out for it…_

_The trickle of warm water spilled all over Lance's limbs, sending a searing pain all over his body. The pain was too much to bear, and his wails echoed through the entire house…_

_The response was almost instantaneous: Lance's mother stepped out of her room, holding a leather belt. Even though all he could see was an orange figure approaching him, he would remember the pain for the rest of his life._

"_Wretched child… Why did I even give birth to you in the first place?" Between her sentences, she swung the belt like a whip down on the three-year-old. "You've brought nothing but trouble… Scalding yourself… Think I can afford your medical fees now?" The child was crying now, the whip breaching his tolerance for pain as it lashed on his scald wounds. "I should have abandoned you…"_

_And so she did. Even without the blindfold, he wouldn't be able to recognise the way back home, as his mother sped away in the taxi. The setting sun was his only form of company as he crouched down on the same spot he alighted, occasionally seeing a passing car in the form of an orange streak._

_It must have been three, maybe four hours, until the sounds of approaching feet got his attention. A wave of hope mixed with despair washed over him. What if it was his mother again?_

"_Hello, kid." It was a man. "You're Lance, right? Don't worry, I'm here to help you."_

_For the three-year-old Lance, there really wasn't a choice. He didn't even have the courage to resist the older man's hand as he held Lance's tiny fist. Under his firm grip, Lance felt his trembling hand…_

Lance continued down the hallway and back to the second-floor staircase landing. His 'reconnaissance' round was now complete. Satisfied, he turned to face the dark stairs and placed one hand on its railing in reflex.

"_Come, Lance."_

_The five-year old scrambled up from his seat, searching for his adoptive father before detecting his presence near the stairs. His new sight has taken some time to get used to, but with his father's guidance, he was already moderately proficient in his powers. He can navigate through a room filled with obstacles alone, and can differentiate between some common household objects. _

"_Yes, father?" The boy asked as he peered up his father._

"_Look what I've made for you."_

_Lance watched on as his father reached out and placed his hand on the stair railing. For a few seconds nothing happened, then like a set of magical stairs, the steps lit up, showing up in Lance's sight as separate yellow blocks rather than a mass of blue._

"_Go on, try it."_

_With his father's encouragement, Lance raised his foot onto the first step. Then, the next step came just as easily. He found that as long as his hand was on the railing, it could guide him up the stairs like a normal human would._

"_This is great, father! I can finally climb the stairs by myself now…"_

_The past two years had changed Lance, both in his mentality and learning methods. He was no longer the naïve young child who can be dumped by his mother at will; he was learning to be independent. He wanted to be independent. Then he'll only be with those he can trust. Like his father._

_At the same time, he can't rely on pencil-and-paper methods to learn anymore (the pencil lines can't show up in his heat-detecting vision). He had to use a writing pad, which heated up when used with a special pen, to write on. Everything he did had to be modified in one way or another, from the way he ate to the way he used the bathroom._

_The next few years of his childhood were a continued process to readapt to his new form of sight. Thus began the young boy's journey to become a leader…_

"You gonna walk down, or what?" Lance's head jerked up, but that was hardly necessary. On the landing below was Serena. He forced a smile, knowing that she will get the message and leave him alone. The recent events had dug up plenty of memories, and he's not exactly in the mood to share. It seemed as though Serena understood, but even she knew how to push Lance at times. "Thinking about something?" Lance tried to avoid the question, hurrying down a few steps before giving up.

"Do you remember… before all this things started… what your life was like? I mean, your family, siblings…"

"Who do you think you're asking? Of course I remember, up to the point when I was born. But why bring up the past?" Serena skipped up the remaining few steps to join Lance midway up the stairs.

"Nothing, really… I was just thinking," he replied, not really revealing anything in particular. "I still remember when father first brought you in…"

"_Lance, would you mind coming up to the heli-pad now?"_

_Lance was used to hearing instructions from the hidden speakers, for it was by far the easiest and most reliable method to communicate with each other on their island base. Getting up to the heli-pad itself was a totally different story. For a while Lance was obsessed with memorising his way through the base, with the winding tunnels and numerous rooms, until he could navigate through the base without any help._

"_Let's see… Right turn, two flights of stairs, take the lift up, turn left and the door should be right… there!"_

_He emerged from the dark interior of the base to the much brighter rooftop, where everything had been bathed in the warm afternoon sun. In his mind he was already guessing what his father wanted him up here. Perhaps he was going to teach him to pilot the helicopter, or maybe they were going to the mainland for that geography field trip he promised…_

"_Here, Lance."_

_He turned towards the sound of his father's voice, noticing immediately the helicopter and its massive frame. His father was standing about fifty feet away from him, and as Lance ran up to him he saw that his father was not alone._

_The girl stood no taller than his father's waist height, clutching a doll of sorts in her hands. She was sniffling every now and then, accompanied by her wiping away her tears. Just who was she? Lance wondered to himself._

"_Lance, this is Serena. Serena, meet Lance. You can consider yourselves siblings from now on."_

_Lance was transfixed on the girl. She was now his sister? He had never wondered what it was like to have a sibling… The girl, Serena, was still crying…_

"_Lance, I'll meet you down at your room after I show Serena around."_

_Nodding, Lance watched on as his father led Serena towards the entrance back into the base. He followed closely behind, turning left at the next split that leads to his room. _

_He plopped down on his bed, waiting for his father like he was told to. _

"That was such a long time ago… I was barely six back then."

Serena took a long pause, and Lance understood why. While Lance was from a broken family, Serena's was almost perfect. They were well to do, had a nice house and a loving family. Upon learning about Serena's amazing ability to remember almost everything she was exposed to, her parents were scheming to exploit her 'genius abilities', to make her famous, then live off her fame. Father had saved her from that fate, but Lance knew that Serena still missed her parents.

'Well, don't harp on it," Lance assured. "Go have a look around upstairs and find a place to settle down for the night; we still have a long journey to go."

Serena nodded, ascending the flight of stairs within a few lunges, while Lance carried on blindly to the kitchen area.

Lance was alone once again. He shook off the feeling of loneliness, which he had trained himself to do whenever he had such a sensation. He was with his family, at least his half-family, and that was enough to comfort him. There was only one difference: their father wasn't with them. He just drove them out, like he didn't want them anymore.

Yes, he remembered his father telling them that if they failed him, they were out of the team. Of course, the team was sufficiently trained, and they haven't failed a mission before, so why did they…

He paused, struck by a familiar sensation of Ken's time manipulation. Despite the restraints against him, he dove to his right, driving his full body weight into the wall as a figure sailed overhead, rolling on the floor as he landed.

The 'assailant' climbed to his feet, muttering, "I just can't pull it off on you… Leader."

"I'm more alert than you think," Lance said with a hearty laugh. Ken, the third member of the Specialist, turned to face his fellow Specialist as Lance swept the dust off his suit.

"I haven't tried to do that since my first year… it was kinda fun back then…"

"Yeah, you were down right rebellious back then… until father shared with us the vision he had…"

_The clock struck four, marking the end of combat lessons for the four young Supers. Fourteen-year-old Lance had seen many changes to his life, after Ken joined them three years ago and Anna, about a year ago. The last day of the year was drawing to a close, but they still had one more meeting back at base in an hour's time. _

_The group took the long walk back as a time to bond as a team, and in a way to know more about one another. By then they considered themselves as real siblings; there really wasn't anything they didn't know about each other._

"_I've said it many times, why do we have to have lessons right up to the end of the year, without even a break in between? I mean, everyone's read about how the kids back there have winter breaks and stuff, but we don't even have a holiday to speak of. That's not fair to us, is it?"_

"_Ken, you've got nothing to do even if we had a break; you're not allowed off the island. So what do you need a break for?"_

"_I don't know… I just think we should have a break anyway. Just for a day or two…"_

_The main building of the island base loomed into sight, about four hundred metres from their current position. The chattering went on until they reached a side entrance, and as they passed into the interior, they fell into hushed silence. As they have discovered on individual occasions, the enclosed base made their echoed voices much louder than usual._

_Their father was waiting in the meeting room, staring at each of the Supers in turn as they settled in their favourite seats around the round table. As soon as they were seated, their attention was focused on their father._

"_Each of you were brought here under different circumstances, but all of you had to be separated from your family shortly before you left. I promised a new family for you, one that understands you, and you agreed to join me. But, I never told you the real reason for your being here. Why did I bring four Supers from across the country to this island, for you to develop your powers?" He paused as the younger Supers pondered about the question. Sure enough, none of them had thought about this. Maybe they've already adapted to this new environment so well that there was no need to…_

"_Take a look at this and you'll understand why."_

_The lights dimmed and the screen lit up, revealing an emblem consisting of a snake coiled around four daggers arranged in a cross. There was a motto inscribed below in Latin, which roughly translates to: _'The future is ours to make.' _The emblem faded away, as the word SPECIAL appeared in its place, and the following words fanned out from the respective acronym:_

_Strength_

_Power_

_Endurance_

_Confidence_

_Intelligence_

_Agility_

_Leadership_

_The video rolled on, now showing footage of other Supers in action, often saving haphazard citizens from the most mundane of incidences: falling bricks, out-of-control vehicles, street muggers… In most cases the police were unable to do anything, merely standing by the side to congratulate the Supers as they strutted in arrogance._

_Everything was thinking the same thing, but only Father voiced it out. "Humans are weak."_

_There were also Supers facing villains, with a rare case of them actually losing. The villains themselves were locked up in prisons, until they escape to again wreck havoc. The presentation ended when the words 'What can you do?' flashed onscreen._

_The lights resumed to maximum brightness as the Supers looked at each other. The video showed a side of Supers they had rarely seen: what made heroes and villains different were merely the side they took; basically they were all Supers._

"_The war between heroes and villains had started since their existence. How do you think we can change that? Serena?"_

"_What do you mean 'we?' We're going to go destroy them all?" Ken interrupted before anyone could speak. "Then how different are we from villains?"_

"_When you think of the word 'villain', what comes to mind? Anna?"_

"_World domination?" Anna replied hesitantly._

"_And how do they go about doing it?" Before she could reply, he had already given the answer. "Villains can't triumph because of their common flaw: they can't work together. Heroes fight for what they claim to be 'justice', which is a common goal for them. We belong to neither side; just to… change the world."_

_The plan was laid out as such: Break up the Superheroes' unity, allow other villains to take over the world, then claim it from them one at a time. In this way, they only had one threat to deal with at any time, rather than declaring enemies against both heroes and villains. That meant they had to help the villains win, in any way possible…_

_Through the next few years, the four young Supers would become the team known as the Specialists…_

The vision… it held the team through the toughest of training, in hopes of becoming the elite team by their father's side.

"I'm going outside," Lance muttered, placing a hand on Ken's shoulder. His brother nodded, allowing him to pass. As Lance pushed aside the rotting wooden door leading to the exterior, Ken headed back towards the mansion interior.

The back yard was practically empty, with the exception of the dried-out pool. Somehow that wasn't what Lance had in mind; he needed a walk to clear his mind… and he knew just where to go.

The gate was hidden amid the bushes, but Lance spotted it with ease. Beyond it was a forest of sorts, waiting to be explored. There wasn't anything else to do anyway, Lance told himself, as he reached out to unlock the gate.

The thick undergrowth provided little resistance for Lance; he had navigated through terrain much worse than this back on the island. Soon he was sprinting between the trees, ignoring the flies that swarmed around him.

It was at least five minutes later when he finally willed himself to stop. Deep inside, he knew that he was running away from his fears… fears he was not allowed to show as a leader. Leaning beside the nearest tree, he slid to the forest floor as he bowed down in shame, chiding himself for letting his weakness show, even though he was alone. He just couldn't live with it…

The sounds of foliage being disturbed brought him back to reality. Something was near… stalking him maybe? Perhaps his father's minions had caught up to them, and were gathering to take them out once and for all… Either way Lance was going to put an end to it. His hands slid down to his waist where his handguns rested; with his right thumb he dislodged one of them from its clip and felt its familiar grip in his fingers. This weapon was heavily modified for his use; he can't even remember when he started using it, way before Serena came.

_The shooting range was the latest addition to their island home, located just a few tunnels down from Lance's bedroom. Lance was first brought there after he had got the hang of navigating through the base interior. He could remember the wide selection of weapons there, but first he had to start from the basics._

_His father bent down in order to place the handgun in his tiny hands, smiling as Lance struggled under its weight. "You'll get used to it soon," he had said with a laugh._

_The concept of the 'game', as he was told, was to pull the trigger as soon as he saw the orange targets. The innocent boy, at that time, had to stand on a wooden crate in order to aim over the shooting counter._

_Lance concentrated on the orange targets, as they appeared, nodding at the advice on aiming and overcoming recoil. In his first practice session, he may have missed many shots, but gained invaluable experience in becoming a proficient marksman…_

He rolled to his left as a streak of orange passed overhead. Bringing up his gun, his fingers slid into the trigger guard as he prepared to fire… when yet another body flew over his head, rolling on the forest floor before straightening up almost instantly.

Stunned by this unexpected appearance, Lance whipped his gun around, training on its midsection when he noticed: the seal each Specialist got to distinguish friend from foe. It even gave of a unique heat signature for Lance to detect. This seal belonged to Anna, the youngest member of the team. The beast she was following gave a primeval cry and escaped into the depths of the forest.

Lance lowered his gun as Anna helped him onto his feet. Fortunately he hadn't fired a shot, but even if he did the suit was well equipped to protect Anna anyway.

"What _are_ you doing out here?" Lance demanded, though in a joking manner.

"Practising my powers," Anna replied with a shrug. "I haven't had a live target to practice on for some time now… so…"

It was understandable for her to want to get outside. She rarely had a living being willing to be subject to her powers; it took some time for Lance to build robots for her to train on. Still, she had tremendous potential with her powers…

"We're leaving in the morning. Get some rest, okay?"

"Um… right…" Lance turned upon her reply, ready to take off back towards the mansion. "Wait, Lance!" Lance turned back at his sister, as she rushed beside him. "I kinda lost my way back there. Can you bring me back as well?"

Lance smiled, nodding as he led the way back, with Anna beside him. The duo reached the mansion in a matter of minutes. Anna raced ahead towards the open door, and before Lance entered the mansion, he looked east where the Metroville suburbia was.

'We're coming to find you…" he whispered before he entered, locking the door behind him.

End notes: Well… that was a long chapter! I had wanted to include this part of the story into the main section, but never got a chance to, as it would make the story really long-winded, and it's much better to have it in this form.

As usual, comment in reviews please. By the way, if you're new to the story or haven't reviewed thus far, please take a look at the main story too. I still need a lot of work on the main section. Thanks!

I'll post up the next chapter in a few weeks. I actually have them all written, but I'll hold them back for a while.


	22. Sleepless

Ultraviolet: Codename S.P.E.C.I.A.L

Author's notes: After some serious thinking, I realised that there's really a thousand things I want to write about in Codename S.P.E.C.I.A.L, but obviously I can't… Trying to keep it short here…

Chapter 22

Sleepless

Violet was still up at eleven at night, despite her parents tucking her in at nine. She had two straight days of rest after her 'night of desperation', after the series of battles drained out all her energy. Now she was well-rested and full of energy.

Not that it was a bad thing, Violet thought as she slid off her bed. It's just that… the Specialists… She could tell that they were on the verge of converting back to the good side, the side of justice. They just needed more encouragement. Besides that, Violet knew that she had done her best given her experience… and the dagger she stabbed into the villain's leg…

She paced around the room, desperate to do anything to induce sleep. Fine, she told herself, if I'm not going to get any sleep then I'd just stay up the whole night. At least that will guarantee another night's sleep tomorrow.

She plopped down on her bed again, glancing at the clock on the wall. 11:11… This was taking forever. Turning over, she leaned against the window, watching the gentle snowdrift. If the battles had any effect on her, it had made her think about her existence as a Super. Now that the ban on Supers was removed, would she be able to carry out hero work in the open? And what about the Supers who had gone into hiding? Their return would bring about another period of Glory Days for the Supers…

Below, a police patrol team sped past in their cruiser, possibly on the chase of a criminal. This reminds me… Violet thought as she leapt off her bed, I could be out there fighting crime. Beats sitting around…

Her Super-suit was stashed in a hidden trapdoor behind the mirror, where Edna had insisted on installing two mannequins for her suits to be placed on. The red suit she had worn on her first mission now rested beside the classic blue one she had designed for winter duties. Even though there wasn't really much of a choice, Violet still saw fit to go through the entire 'which one suits me better?' routine.

Finally she settled on the red one, deciding that it wasn't really that cold outside for her to wear the full winter gear. She removed the suit gently from its place, and was about to change into it when she felt a prickling sensation behind her… the sensation of being watched.

She whirled around. There was no one.

All right Vi, she thought, you're just scaring yourself. She was about to turn back, when she reached out to check the window's locks and pull down the blinds. Just to be safe…

Within minutes she was changed and ready for action. As a finishing touch, she pulled a coat over her body and secured her mask in place. She checked herself once over in the mirror before she reached out for the door…

"Going somewhere, Violet?"

Violet gave a gasp and fell back, arms raised defensively in reflex. Her eyes slowly adjusted as she tried to identify the intruder, but the voice was a dead give-away.

"Lance! What do you want? I'm warning you, my whole family…"

"Calm down," Lance said hurriedly, glancing down the hallway in worry. He seems to be alone. "We're not here to hurt you… we just wanna talk."

"How can I trust you?" This trust thing was too much… first they tried to stop her, then they want her to trust them, and now Violet wasn't even sure how they survived the raging inferno.

"You wouldn't _know _it if we wanted to kill you… Although you did notice the girls outside, didn't you?"

"They are? Then I'd better let them in…"

"That won't be necessary, Violet." The voice came from behind her. How did they…

Violet turned around to see the two female Specialists seated on her bed. Behind them the window was open, and thankfully did not appear to have been damaged. "Where's the other guy… Ken isn't it?"

"He's securing the front door. In fact, I think we should all proceed to the living room…"

Violet didn't quite get the idea of 'securing' the front door of the house, but still she followed Lance outside the room, flanked by Serena and Anna. As they walked, Violet turned to Anna with a question. "What exactly are you guys doing here?"

"We figured you'd have many questions for us, so we'd like to clear it up with you before…" Anna's voice trailed off as she shook her head, as though she had said something she shouldn't.

"Before what?"

"Never mind… Just feel free to ask us anything…" Somehow Anna's answer did not seem too reassuring, but Violet did have a lot of questions for them. Questions she had no time to ask before.

Sure enough, Ken was already waiting on the couch, hands draped across it as though he owned it. It also seems like he's helped himself to the hot cocoa and cookies (although he got some for everyone else too). He had also set up a fire in the fireplace, leaving the room with a warm glow from the fire.

"Gather round the fire, boys and girls… We're gonna tell a story tonight," Ken announced with a cowboy accent as the group settled around. Dropping the accent, he continued. "Sorry I helped myself to the food and stuff… Thought it might help…"

Silence followed as everyone took a sip from his or her cup. It stretched on until Lance put down his cup, drawing the attention of everyone else.

"If you really want to know, Violet…" he started, stealing glances at each of his team mates, "we think our father is hunting us down. So before that happens, we want a chance to clear things up with you… just in case anything happens…" Before Violet could reply, Lance had started again. "Let's start from the beginning…" Under his breath, he whispered, "just not mine."

* * *

Twelve-year-old Serena was not okay.

Their father had just shared with them his vision to reshape the world. Noble, yes, but cruel in a way. Of the four members in the team, she was the one with a perfect family. They loved her…

Following the formation of the Specialists was the training. In the six years she was here, she had been a student, reading everything the library could offer. Her father had encouraged her to make full use of her seemingly unlimited memory. The 'education' took up most of her days before; now she knew quite a lot, surpassing her brother's six extra years of education.

Father had met up with each of them individually the day before to brief them on their training programme. She was selected to be the tactical co-ordinator for the team. She was going to be the combat specialist. She was, in his words, 'everything to the team'.

It's your powers… Father had said. You're gifted…

So was the rest of the team.

Sure, everyone had his or her part in the team. Lance was the leader and sharpshooter, Ken managed defence while Anna was the 'hidden weapon'. But Serena felt that her responsibilities were overwhelming for a girl like her.

She looked down at her timetable. Morning: Physical training. Afternoon: Combat training. Evening: Tactics. Night: Physical training. It was depressing to even think about it.

"The mentality has to change, Serena," she told herself.

* * *

"Offensive defence."

That was Ken's role in the Specialists. How that works, he had no idea. Time manipulation had nothing to do with defending… isn't it?

He was a sportsman before this, an aspiring athlete. Now his training consisted almost entirely of physical training, specifically geared towards improving his stamina. The rest of his days were basically combat training and stuff… quite boring, really.

He admitted that he had changed a lot after Father shared with them the vision. He wanted his revenge on Supers, both the so-called 'heroes' and 'villains'.

His parents were Supers in the Glory Days, operating in their small hometown. He was two when the Superhero Relocation Programme was put in place. That didn't stop the villains from hunting his parents down. At the age of eight, in full view of two other Supers, they were killed. The Supers fled.

His grudge against Supers brought him here, and he will get his revenge.

* * *

Jinx. Cursed one. Herald of Doom.

The geeks in pre-school liked to call her that.

She drove everyone crazy. Literally. She discovered her powers at the age of five. By three months, she had three demented teachers, twenty-odd playmates treated for signs of psychosis. Her parents' case was the last straw, and the relatives saw fit to pack her away… until Father found her.

She just didn't want to be misunderstood, for once.

She was told her powers had the most potential in the group, and she was reserved for unique 'assassination' missions to take out key targets in their way. Few could shake off their fears long enough to regain control. Father estimated its effects lasted up to a day, but most become beyond hope in a few hours. Even when the effects wore off, they weren't any different from new victims.

She looked forward to the lessons.

End notes: This is still the introductory chapter. Basically, this is the 'all you need to know' part, but there's much more about them ahead. Do review if you have any comments.


	23. Forlorn Fighter

Ultraviolet: Codename S.P.E.C.I.A.L

Author's notes: It's kinda slow in the Incredibles section (I don't know how many times I'm saying this). Where has everyone gone off to? Anyone and everyone who has an in-progress story, update! Anyone with ideas for a new fic, get writing and upload!

I'm not writing as fast as I should for UV; it won't be long before I'm stuck again. I suppose the next update should be more than a week away. I've only two more chapters written in advance, and the most recent one took weeks to complete.

This one should be ok… Almost purely fighting. Enjoy!

Chapter 23

Forlorn Fighter

Serena stared down her 'sparring partner'. Engineered and built by Lance, its simple programme had only one objective: to bring down its opponent. Of course, Father had only allowed it to be used after Serena had undergone the basic combat course. He was watching, seated on a platform far above.

As the two fighters circled around each other, Serena recalled everything she had learnt during lessons. Twenty different fighting styles, thousands of manoeuvres and scenarios surfaced in her mind in an instant as she sieved out what she needed. Within a split second she had chosen her fighting style.

"Come on!" She cried as she lunged forward, aiming a kick at its chin. Half a second later she was on the floor, feeling pain spread through her body from where she landed. What the… she thought. She didn't even see its hands move… But there they were, raised to propel her towards the ground.

"Ok, then. How about this?" Her right leg shot towards the robot's knee, grazing metal as her target sprang away. Pounding her fist on the floor, she picked herself up. "That's it…"

"You talk too much when fighting. It distracts…" The voice had not come from her opponent, but from Father. Serena glanced up for a second, and as she lowered her head she saw a flash of metal. It was too late. A swift blow to her shin left her on her knees, and the next one aimed at her gut left her sprawled on the floor.

"Get up."

She raised her head, staring at the robot's eyes. It was cliché that if you wanted something bad enough, you can achieve it. Did she want to defeat this robot that badly? And the thing about her talking too much… if it did help her, she'll have to thank Father for it later.

Serena sprang up to her feet, lashing out at her opponent with a curled fist. The next two punches landed spot on their target: its eyes. Her boot was thrust into its torso, bringing it to the ground. It got up, and half a minute later it was sent flying with a roundhouse kick.

While the robot recovered, Serena glanced at her wristwatch. Ten minutes had passed. Three hundred and fifty more to go.

* * *

'Fatigue' was an understatement as Serena stepped out of her private training room a few hours later. Her muscles refused to respond, as she collapsed onto the nearest chair.

"That was good." Serena's left eye peeled open, spotting her father with his arms crossed, before she turned away. "Your progress is… unexpected. However, you can improve on the strength and endurance parts… That's where physical training comes in. I'll see you down at the gym after dinner." With that he was off, maybe to inspect the others.

Willing her muscles to move, Serena climbed to her feet and practically dragged them back to her room just metres away. Flicking the switch to the bathroom, she filled up the bathtub with warm water. There she could relax for a while.

Dinner was in an hour.

* * *

Fifteen weeks of unarmed combat training passed, and has wrought such a change of physique in Serena, so much that she hardly recognised herself. Her arm muscles would put other twelve-year-olds to shame. They moved on to armed combat now, which was quite a change of pace from six-hour training sessions. Father was teaching her personally; something he did rarely.

In preparation of the lesson, Serena had watched a short video clip about various weapons and their uses, from common ones like staves and bladed weapons, to less orthodox ones like chain whips, halberds and those throwing stars used by ninjas. But nothing could prepare her for her first weapon…

Serena stared at the Chinese fan in her hand. It consisted of two ivory slats, between which were several folds of cloth-like material. With a flick of her wrist, the fan unfurled to its full extent. She swished it a couple of times, feeling the gentle breeze it generated… How was she going to use this?

Father watched on in amusement as Serena played with the 'weapon' for a while. "You're supposed to _use_ that to fight."

"And you're going to teach me how?" Serena answered back. Father wasn't the kind who demanded respect; he was fine with his children speaking up against him from time to time.

"You'll have to figure that out by yourself." Behind him, stepping out of the shadows, was the training robot. "And by the way, the fan has a metal lining along the edge that can give a lethal cut. Even when folded, it can pack quite a punch." Serena looked down at the weapon again. "This training will focus on your use of weapons. Try not to use anything else." With that, he was gone, but Serena was sure that he was watching.

Her opponent came into full view, bearing no weapon of its own. Serena knew that this one had a different programme from the previous one, but in what aspect, she had no idea. With the unfamiliar weight in her right hand, she was even more uncomfortable.

Her opponent struck first, leaving Serena on the defensive as she dodged it. In response, she swung the fan up, running it along the metallic covering of the robot. True to her father's words, it left just a thin line, exposing circuits underneath. It's not so bad after all, she thought with a smile.

The practice went on, following three more attacks from Serena. Each was met with a swift block and counterattack. Serena tried again to cut the robot's metal covering, but it was again blocked. Frustrated, she threw her empty left palm into the robot's unguarded chest. The robot isn't that fast, Serena thought. I don't need this weapon to kick his…

Just one more try.

Leaping into the air, she landed a few feet behind the robot, thrusting the fan towards its exposed neck…

In a split second the robot turned around, catching the Super by surprise in mid-air. She had no defence for the kick that followed, leaving her on the ground again.

That's it… she thought, feeling the rage building inside. Tossing the fan aside, she leapt to her feet. Bare fists would be better for this…

Almost instantly, she felt steel connect with her jaw, followed by a shot to her stomach, turning it numb. Serena braced herself as a series of blows landed on her body. How could the robot have such a change in speed and strength?

The robot picked Serena up, tossing her against the wall. Serena could feel adrenaline in her body numbing the pain, encouraging her to continue. "I don't need that thing to beat you," she taunted with a sneer. Its reply was a knee straight at her face, which she shoved away in time. Now was the time to put her combat skills to the test.

Elbow struck metal as the robot anticipated Serena's move. The next few moves were parried with perfect precision as Serena searched for an opening in its defence. Sending out two punches at the same time, the robot had to block both the attacks, leaving its centre unguarded. Serena took her chance and dove shoulder-first into the midsection of the robot, ignoring the crunching sound in her bones against the impact.

She placed a knee over the robot's wrist, restraining the other with her left hand while she raised her right. Smirking, she brought down her fist just as a dark shadow loomed behind her…

Wham.

The robot's knee to the back of her head sent a blur across her eyes. Without time to react, she was brought to the ground, defenceless and writhing in pain. She felt the robot bear down on her, as its full weight pressed on her.

How did it become so fast? And its strength… She had underestimated its potential… but its skills were moderate before…

Before she let go of the weapon…

Turning around, she saw it just a few feet away, where she left it. If she was right, she needed to get to it before she couldn't move anymore. One final charge…

She bent her legs, resting her feet on the robot's midsection, using it as leverage to heave the robot off her. Her mind was bent on only one thing: getting the weapon. Her gloved hand gave a push as she rolled towards the Chinese fan resting just a few feet away. It may be her last chance…

Her fingers gripped the ivory slats as she passed it, pausing for a moment. Behind her the robot was in relentless pursuit, closing in on Serena in a second.

The fan swung through a semicircle, slicing through thin metal where a man's neck would be. Sparks erupted from the cut as circuits broke underneath. Knowing that the robot was designed after human physiology, Serena knew that she had just dealt a fatal blow had this been a real human.

"I suppose that's 'good training' for me?" she questioned as Father approached from behind.

"You wanted armed combat training, and I gave it to you. Desperation can drive you to perform better, as you can see…" Serena glanced at the crumpled heap of metal on the ground. "You're not invincible… not yet anyway. But you'll soon be able to handle someone of that standard. Not bad, considering this to be your first attempt… but there is still much to learn."

And so she learnt. Every possible weapon in their arsenal. Father didn't expect her to carry any weapon with her at all times, but at least she could take on anyone when given the chance…

* * *

The Specialists had to undergo the toughest training to be the best. Basic combat training led to survival courses in various forms of terrain, operation and usage of firearms, and to first aid. All these were conducted with intensive physical training in the background designed to push each member to their limits.

All these, just to be the best…

End notes: Well… that's all for one chapter I guess.

I'm over-committing to too many stories now… Speaking of which, I'll have a few more stories up by the end of the year. I'm also expecting UV to come to its second official end by then.

As always, any comments in the reviews. Thanks!


	24. Peacemaker

Ultraviolet: Codename S.P.E.C.I.A.L

Author's notes: I'm not sure if anyone remembers Anna's powers… Her power is activated by touch, and hijacks the logic centre in her victim's brain, leaving their imagination wild where their fears take over their senses. They'll usually have hallucinations of their fears, which are just exaggerations of reality.

If I just made that more complicating, you can congratulate me.

Disclaimer: The chapter has references to Colt (a manufacturer of firearms). Don't own the company or any of their firearms… There's no mention of the actual make of the gun in the chapter, but there's a clue somewhere…

Chapter 24

Peacemaker

Lessons take on a whole new meaning for Anna. Not that she attended a lot of them before this; she was always changing schools for putting another teacher in the straightjacket. Her parents didn't really believe the Supers stuff… in fact they didn't care at all. Always on their 'business trips', they returned once a month to settle the bills, collect letters and to check on their daughter, until…

Until they came to kiss her good night…

She was barely seven then. Relatives shunned her, friends abandoned her, but only her destiny embraced her. 'As one door closes, another opens.' She believed in it, and it did… Her life wasn't perfect now, but at least it was better than the hellhole she used to live in.

'School' as she knew was basically self-study topics, just for general knowledge. The real stuff was in combat training and the development of powers. Half a year of being a Specialist in training, and she can already claim a seventy-percent mastery over her powers. She was also rarely without her switchblade, her weapon of choice.

The next part of training was a must for all Specialists: firearms. Lance was the instructor, which wasn't a surprise for the team. His training extended way beyond theirs', and he had a head start… In fact, Father announced that Lance had passed his official Specialist's test, and was the first official member of the team. What that meant for the rest of them was still unclear.

"Eyes out front, fingers outside trigger guard and always on alert!" Lance yelled over the loudspeaker, shaking Anna out of her trance. The shooting range came into focus, and so did the revolver in her hand. The label on the shelf had read 'Colt'; fifteen blank rounds lay by the side. Lined up beside her were Ken and Serena, with similar weapons in their hands.

"Take aim at the targets in your lane." Anna held out the revolver in her right hand, index finger on the trigger. "Ready, fire!"

Anna's fingers tightened on the trigger, not sure what to expect, when a resounding 'crack' was heard. She didn't feel anything from her gun; glancing around in panic, she almost dropped her gun. Another shot rang out, this time from her right. Ken and Serena were already opening fire, and she should too.

Anna's aim was thrown off when she panicked earlier, and now she struggled to regain a proper aim. Her left hand gripped the table as she squeezed the trigger…

Her hand jerked upwards as the recoil overcame her. There was a flash from the muzzle, and a dent appeared on the target board. That wasn't so bad, she thought. Soon, she had emptied five rounds at the board, and unsure of her results, lowered her gun.

"Examine your target boards." With a push of a button, the boards were brought forward, and Anna stared at hers.

There was a dark human silhouette on the cardboard, devoid of bullet marks. They were scattered across the board, though one was close to its shoulder… Anna thought, trying to comfort herself. Ken and Serena were busy discussing their results in hushed whispers.

"I got close to its heart… more like at its liver… what about you?"

"Perfect… straight at its head…"

Anna glanced over at Serena's scoreboard. Sure enough, there was a mark right where its head would be. The others weren't wasted; there were shots on its neck, torso and midsection as well. Ken had said that he was close… at least he hit something… unlike her…

"You may want to support your right hand with your left when you fire. It'll help reduce recoil. Of course, it helps to actually _aim_ at something…"

Anna's head snapped up at her brother. "Lance…"

"All right, the two of you, reload your weapons. We're going for another round." Anna felt him pause behind her. "Just try herder this time…" He returned to his station. Anna picked up a couple of bullets with her fingers and loaded five more rounds into the cylinder.

* * *

A month after the shooting fiasco came their practical examination. Anna paced inside the isolation room where each candidate waited. She read the instructions provided on paper one more time: The examination was held in the multi-purpose room, in a simulated environment.

She then tried to recall the firearms they had used in the past month. The revolver was the least of her worries now, as she found herself fumbling with both assault rifles and the sniper rifle they had been taught to use.

A computer-generated voice came through the headphones, part of the communicative device they had to communicate with each other. "Your practical examination starts now. Pass through four checkpoints and complete the tasks at each station. Use the map on your wristwatch to help you navigate the terrain. You have forty minutes… starting now."

The door leading into the multi-purpose room slid open, revealing a jungle environment. It was designed down to the minor details like foliage. Anna took off towards it at a trot, glancing at the mini-map on her modified wristwatch. The first checkpoint was just a few feet away.

As expected, there was a Colt revolver resting on a rack. Beside it was a small pouch of bullets, which Anna attached to her belt.

"Load the weapon." Anna complied, finishing the task in half a minute. As soon as the last bullet clicked in place, three red targets rose up from the bushes around her. There wasn't any need for words, as Anna made short work of the clay targets. "Checkpoint cleared."

She took another glance at her wristwatch. Next checkpoint: one mile to the Northeast. About thirty-five minutes remained.

The run to the next checkpoint took slightly over three minutes, where she repaired a jammed rifle and successfully fired one burst of rounds from it. She deliberated for a moment, deciding to leave the rifle behind. The cumbersome weapon would only slow her down, she argued, hoping that it would not be a mistaken judgement.

A different rifle awaited her at the next checkpoint. No sooner had she picked it up, a volley of rounds fired from the other side, whizzing past her petite frame. Too shocked to react, Anna jerked her head around, looking for the source of gunfire, when another burst erupted at her. Realising her exposed position, Anna threw herself at the floor, ducking behind the cover that the lead-plated checkpoint provided. On the other side, tiny rounds pounded against her cover.

She gripped the rifle in her hand, crawling into position, before rolling out from behind cover. In the split-second she took to raise the rifle, she had spotted the aggressor: a machine gun mounted on a turret. It continued to fire at Anna's previous position, giving her time to take three precise shots at the turret base. Gas spewed from the holes; the gun ceased fire.

She glanced at her stopwatch. Twelve minutes left. She'd better start her two-mile run towards the last checkpoint.

It came into sight, at the edge of a clearing fifty feet away. Anna approached it, blinded with her eagerness to complete her task that she failed to notice when three robotic guards jumped out from ambush, brandishing sub-machine guns of their own.

'That's as far as you'll go," one of them said.

Anna hadn't counted on robots appearing, even in combat lessons she was trying not to touch her opponent, possibly due to her aversion to contact. There's always an option of using the gun in her hands…

But that'll be wrong.

They were built to be like humans, every aspect of them. With the exception of breathing oxygen, down to the last detail like strength, eyesight and intelligence… All of that was based on the average human's. They were even varied to simulate the randomness amongst humans. Their electrical wiring follows the human's nervous system. An impact to a human's vital organs had the same effect on them. Their skin was a thin as a human's…

Wouldn't that make them humans too?

She couldn't kill them then… knowing that they were like humans. She had hesitated, similarly, in combat training, and had refused to cast the finishing blow. Father had let her go then. Will he do the same now?

You don't have time to think about that, Anna, a voice told her.

She tightened the grip on her revolver, aiming straight at one of the robot's hearts. They closed in on her, ignoring the threat. They knew about her hesitations.

"I can't… I just can't…" The robots were coming… She had to do something.

Her fingers relaxed their grip on the revolver, as it spun towards the ground. At the same time, her left hand slipped towards her belt pouch, detaching the plastic casing attached to it. The robots around her pounced – she rolled out of their way. In a tangled heap, they were unable to respond as she stood over them.

Lance had designed the robots to respond to her powers, too. If she touched each of them now, they would probably run away in fear…

She lowered her hand, bending down as she dealt the lethal touch…

Her finger pressed down on the button on her switchblade, as the blade ejected to its full length. The three robots were recovering now… at any moment they'll surrender…

"Pause the simulation."

Anna glanced up at the source of the voice. Father had to be watching, with Lance by his side. The robots froze in their places, halfway up to their feet.

"What's the problem now, Anna?" Lance called out from wherever he was at.

Anna flung herself at the ground, covering her face. "I just can't…" She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at her brother, as he pulled her up to her feet.

"You're lucky that this is just a simulation. In an actual combat situation, you don't have a choice. You just have to deal with it."

"But I… They're just like humans…"

"That just adds to the realism. You've fought them in lessons; haven't you got used to it by now?" Anna looked up at Lance, scepticism twinkling in her eyes. "Trust me. You won't have to face such a situation, but just in case you do…"

"I can handle them with my powers just fine…"

"Sometimes you just don't have a choice," Lance repeated, asserting that fact to Anna. "We don't use humans in our lessons. That's good enough, isn't it? Taking out a robot wouldn't make you as guilty as taking out a real human."

Yeah, right. He didn't mention that it was exactly their purpose. To make them less guilty so that they won't regret when a real human was in front of them.

Of course, she didn't know it them. Blindly picking up her revolver, she turned away as Lance disappeared behind some bushes. A minute later, his voice was broadcast over the loudspeaker again. "Do what you have to do."

"Simulator resuming in five seconds," the computer generated voice told her.

There was a click as she pulled back the hammer…

Six shots rang out in quick succession, two to each opponent. She tossed the spent weapon aside, striding towards the next checkpoint.

"Use the sniper rifle to take out the guards around the base in front of you," Anna read out loud, unable to compose herself to comprehend the words. She read it a few times over, before she glanced up at the makeshift base in front of her. A camouflage net held up by thin metal pipes, with four robot soldiers sitting around it. They seemed just like casual soldiers. All that they lacked was a couple of cigarettes.

Truly, a simulated battle…

The sniper rifle fit snugly in the hollow of her shoulder. The scope lined up with the first target's head. Anna closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath along with it. As she opened her eyes, a muffled crack followed and a single bullet shot forth, striking the target. The next three targets suffered similar fates.

"Examination completed. Simulation over."

End notes: Again, I'd like to say that this is read-at-your-leisure stories that may give you a better understanding of the villains. As a matter of fact, I feel that I'm not updating often enough.

I'm really busy lately, and writing is more like a free time thing. I don't expect myself to be able to update in a week.


	25. Potential

Ultraviolet: Codename S.P.E.C.I.A.L

Author's notes: Readership has gone down again. Ah, well… Can't force it anymore, so here's the next chapter.

Chapter 25

Potential

Supers have to have their Super-suit.

The young supers couldn't call themselves Specialists without their own identity, both as a team and as individuals. For many weeks the issue was raised, then dropped after a hasty apology. Nobody dared to question Father's intentions after a while; he had his own direction, and if he didn't want to share it with them, they wouldn't find out.

Now he wanted them to.

The Specialist gathered in the meeting room once again, on Father's request. Each of them passed a barely noticeable glance around the room, as though asking the others why they were here.

Someone cleared his throat behind the siblings, and they jerked upright. Father walked to the front, giving a dismissive wave as they greeted him. "It's been some time since you all have been here; you may call yourselves Specialists, but not until you have your Super-suit."

There was a flurry of movement as everyone tried to catch each other's eyes. This was the moment they had been waiting for; it is the one thing that distinguishes them from humans.

The first suit was mainly black, with yellow gloves and boots. It looked like those from the average hero or villain's suit. A description flashed underneath it.

_Basic combat suit – For all purposes. Made from a tough, resistant material and able to defend against most forms of attacks, from Supers or otherwise. Able to resist a bullet from fifty metres out, equipped with a utility belt for storage of equipment._

The next one was jet black all over. The material was flexible, and instead of boots, the suit merely ended in pads. The gloves were made of a similar material, and covered up to the wrist.

_Sneak suit – Stealth missions only. Light suit meant to blend into the night. Not suitable for combat; offers minimal protection. Travelling noise reduced to ten decibels._

The next one looked more like a motor-cross biker's armour. There were thin metallic materials lining around vital areas around the heart, neck and limbs. It looked like it can be attached to the basic combat suit.

_Full combat suit – Gunfights, harsh or extreme combat situations. Metallic lining stops bullets up to point blank range. Metallic lining does not hinder movement; however it adds weight to the suit. Can be attached or removed from the basic combat suit. Lined with fluids that help to spread heat around the body in winter._

_Diving suit – Underwater movement. Mouthpiece attached to filter oxygen dissolved in water._

Their next task was to think of a name for themselves, one that represented their powers. It didn't take them long to come up with it.

Lance – Heatseeker

Serena – Terabyte

Ken – Chronomorphosis

Anna – Phobia

* * *

The training room had a strangely therapeutic effect on Serena; she visited it whenever she was down. The fighting calms her, bringing her adrenaline levels under control. Once again, she found herself in the largely empty room, but this time for no apparent reason. There was just this compelling urge to go there, as though something was going to happen.

She had given herself an excuse: to test her new suit. The soft material was practically part of her body, with the exception of the gloves jutting out near the elbows. She had to get used to this as soon as possible.

Serena punched a couple of buttons on the control panel offhandedly, and her records appeared on the screen. Eight hundred and fifty-two opponents. That was her best performance in one go. Sure, it had taken four hours to achieve that feat, not counting the millions spent training up for it, but it just wasn't good enough.

Four hours of hard fighting… Maybe she'll break that record today.

Her wristwatch started beeping. Serena frowned, glancing down at it. There wasn't anything scheduled for her this afternoon… Surely there weren't any important messages?

"Terabyte: Promotional Examination. Defeat one thousand opponents in the training room. Restrictions: none." Serena read out the instructions briefly. She paused, re-reading the instructions again, before she started feeling flustered. Lance had told her that this would mean she would be an official Specialist and like he said, the examination would come in the form of a surprise.

No one had managed to beat a thousand opponents in the training room… Lance came close, with about two hundred shy… but there was a long way to go for her.

"Examination starts in five seconds."

No time to think, Serena, just fight.

"The examination has begun."

A trapdoor opened overhead, and from it dropped five robot soldiers. Not much of a challenge, Serena thought, as she slammed the nearest robot into the wall. At least, not yet. The successive battles would leave her weary, with its constantly increasing difficulty.

Leaving the fallen robots in a heap, she moved towards the centre of the room. One of her first lessons in the training room was not to get hemmed into a corner. She still had a bruise to show for it.

The trapdoor overhead popped open, leaving Serena no time to think about battle scars. There were ten this time. She scanned the area, waiting for a single movement…

The first robot fell back, after Serena drove her fist into its face. Withdrawing her hand at once, she ducked the next attack and delivered an uppercut to its jaw, rendering it out of commission. The next few she dispatched with a repetitive combination of punches and slams.

With the few seconds' respite, she checked her breathing and heart rate. Breathing was normal, but heart rate was approaching a hundred and ten. "You'll live through it," she told herself, even as twenty soldiers landed around her.

There was a moment's pause, during which Serena noticed her opponents reaching for their weapons attached to their belts; all robots had a standard six-inch dagger and nine-millimetre calibre handgun. They were getting serious, and maybe Serena ought to be too.

There were weapon racks all around her, the nearest one less than ten metres away. The problem was the ten or so robots in her way. Not really a problem to me, she thought.

There was a gentle breeze on her face as she dodged a dagger. Swinging her arm upwards, she flipped her attacker over and wrestled the dagger from its hand. There was movement behind her; without hesitation she rolled aside as yet another robot dived straight at her, plunging its dagger straight into its comrade's chest.

The robots towered over her, which was not a good sign. Desperate, Serena raised her legs and spun them like helicopter blades, driving back her opponents while allowing her to get back on her feet. Pushing back two robots in her way, she stabbed a third with her dagger in its chest, taking care not to trip over the pile of metal at her feet. She had reached her goal; she pushed away the robot along with the dagger, reaching out for a staff.

The staff was about two metres in length, extending her reach by more than half that length. It was her favourite weapon, especially in training where advantage was crucial. Her fingers curled up against the rough wood, gripping it about one shoulder's width apart. She found herself grinning, despite the situation. She was ready…

The staff swung towards the nearest robot, hitting it in its neck. Almost instantly, the weapon was drawn back and driven into the nose of another robot behind her. Serena brought it down with a simple flick of her wrist, pounding the staff's base into its chest twice.

With every move she made, she recalled the various times she had used them. She found herself using most of her techniques, from the eastern styles and their western variants. Even as more robots dropped down, she still felt relaxed. She was in control.

The floor was littered with broken bodies, reducing the areas where she could step on safely. She passed the halfway mark of five hundred opponents with a time of ninety minutes. It was quite a record for her, and she was amazed that her body was coping well with the test.

Each new group brought with them a new challenge. They were now armed with various weapons, ranging from baseball bats to assault rifles. The robots with firearms were already a great challenge, but with a whole bunch of armed goons… that was a whole different story. Dodging the bullets put a strain on her endurance, but she struggled on, taking them down one at a time.

Soon she found a consistent rhythm, a standard set of manoeuvres that she repeated once she was finished with a set of opponents. Looks like this wasn't so tough after all…

She paused from her routine to glance at her current score. She had surpassed her previous record; she was now less than five hundred robots to the completion of her examination. A warm sensation washed over her, and she knew that it was the feeling of achievement. She could hardly believe it… just a few more to go.

Metallic hands grabbed at her weapon, shaking her out of her moment of distraction. A crack followed, as a few hundred pounds of metal landed on the centre of her weapon, snapping the wooden staff into two. Serena raised the wooden shards in time to block her assailant's attack, but fell victim to a sneak attack from behind. Sprawled on the floor, she gazed at the three pairs of legs around her.

She can't give up now…

Two hands reached under her armpits, dragging her up to her feet. As though taunting her, the third robot reached for a staff, poised for the fatal strike…

The weapon actually came up to within an inch of her face before she stopped it with her right forearm. Ignoring the sharp pain, she thrust her left leg into the armed robot's chest. Falling back on basics, she felled her captors with two successive throws. Bloodthirsty instincts seemed to consume her as she charged down the last standing robot, severed its arms from their sockets. Tossing the appendages aside, she ripped its head off with a vicious tug and finished by grabbing its dagger and plunging it into its stomach.

She straightened to her full height, amid a shower of sparks from the damaged robot. Her adrenaline levels were over the limit; there was nothing in her sight except her opponents. Like a storm she tore through the next group, as the metallic carcasses accumulated on the floor.

Nothing could restrain her; she felt like she could just spend the rest of her day here. Her limbs were numb to any form of action; it didn't feel like she was controlling her body, but she was merely watching the action far off. The minute of action took away the last vestiges of energy. She told herself to last through one more… one more before she gave up…

Her muscles seized up, her brain shut down and she slumped to the ground. Before her sight faded, she managed a glance at her score. Nine hundred… and ninety… five…

How much was that? She asked herself. Numbers swirled around in her mind. Something told her that she was close to her goal, but her body just couldn't respond to her commands. She felt her body leave the ground; something was holding her up.

Serena's senses cleared, just enough for her to be considered conscious. Two robots were dragging her. Out of the room. Five more to go. It seemed insignificant compared to her feat in the past few hours, but to her body now, it was the difference between her last gasp of breath.

In front of her eyes she could see… the exit.

A Specialist would not tolerate failure.

She pulled her hands back, leaping up to her feet the moment she hit the ground. The five opponents converged around her. That would be sufficient for now.

She blocked a punch; the next few attacks had the predictability of a mathematical pattern, and posed no threat to her. Without hesitation, she lashed out at the nearest opponent's stomach, smashing its head against her knee. A boot to its chest sent it to the floor.

Feeling movement on either of her sides, she leapt upwards to avoid two of her opponents charging at her. Crashing headfirst, the two ceased movements after a moment. Serena turned to face the last two, smirk plastered on her face. Enjoy this while it lasts, she told herself.

One of the robots stepped forward against her. She just had to hold on for a while more now… Grabbing it by its head, she broke the circuitry in its neck and disarmed its dagger in one swift motion. The last opponent was armed with a similar dagger. At least it would be a fair fight.

End it quick, she told herself.

Raising her left forearm in anticipation, her glove came into contact with the opponent's dagger as she thrust hers forward… straight where a human heart would be.

"It's over then," she told herself, before she fell to the ground.

End notes: Wow… that took some time. Again, many awkward references to robots… I gotta stop doing it sometime…

Anyway, it gets more exciting (I hope) as I move on to another part of the Specialists' lives. Read on to find out… and don't forget to leave a review.


	26. Camaraderie

Ultraviolet: Codename S.P.E.C.I.A.L

Author's notes: First anniversary of UV! Ok, it's nothing to scream about, but still… I'm surprised it went such a long way. After the completion of UV (soon), I'll post up my next Incredibles fic.

Chapter 26

Camaraderie

_Specialist Training Mission File: 001_

_Mission Description: Government agents are meeting in Metroville for meeting on reinstating the Supers. The key supporter of the cause is arriving from across the country, ready to present his stand in front of top government officials. His journey into Metroville takes him through a forested path, perfect for a Specialist ambush…_

_Primary Objective: Assassinate government official in his car before he can reach to safety._

_Secondary Objective: None_

_Resistance: Local police escorts around the car, official is secured by personal bodyguards. Intervention from government operatives is possible._

_Training Difficulty: Moderate

* * *

_

The binoculars trailed the path of the limousine for a few seconds, before Lance's line of sight was blocked by a group of trees. He lowered the binoculars, motioning for the team to move up to his position. "Target spotted half a mile out. Resistance is as predicted. We're moving as planned."

The multi-purpose room was converted into yet another simulated environment. Everything was in place, according to the surveillance pictures given to Serena. This was the first team mission; though it was not their first time as a team, it was still important that they did this well.

The three police squad cars were their first targets; they couldn't let them call for back-up.

Serena took the rest of the team down from where they were to a position closer to the road, hidden behind a cluster of shrubs. Lance got back to setting up the mounted sniper rifle, before loading a single round into the chamber.

He couldn't see his target under the windscreen, but he could make out the position of the driver's seat against the frame of the car. The scope swept over the intended target, tracing its movement as the car rounded a bend.

There was a crack, following a jolt from the rifle and a thud as the bullet casing ejected from the chamber. The vehicle, instead of taking a full turn, swerved into the nearest tree. By then, the next round was loaded and the rifle aimed at the next driver.

The second shot; by now the rear guard had realised something was wrong. Three police officers emerged from each of the two driverless cars, using their now-defunct vehicles as cover as they drew their weapons. The limousine screeched to a halt, taking the cue from the escort vehicles in front of it.

Of the six officers in the open, only one of them had the sense to reach for the walkie-talkie. "We're under attack! Repeat: Under attack! Location…" He never got a chance to finish, and was left sprawled over his comrade, who pushed the body off himself.

Then it became a scene from the war movies.

"We're taking fire! Hostile sniper just took out three of us! Location unidentified!"

"Get back-up!"

"Protect the official!"

Lance smiled, loading yet another round into his rifle as the robots below him scrambled for cover. He should change their programming after this and take out those lines.

While the cops in front of the convoy hid behind their squad car doors, those at the rear rushed forward to secure the government official. Lance couldn't hear the 'reassuring' words said to him, but perhaps the now-dead robot over him would change his mind.

There was a flurry of movement in the limousine now, as three bodyguards stepped out of the convoy. The eyes under their darkened glasses scanned the area, simultaneously reaching for the assault rifles hid under their tuxedo jacket.

Lance took aim again, steadying his breathing as he slid another bullet into the chamber. With the sun's warmth against his face, he could see a significant change in his vision… everything was warming up now.

"Hostile spotted!" Lance took his eyes off the scope, as the five cops rushed Serena's position. Her mirror decoy was meant to draw their attention from the glare made by Lance's scope. The three of them can handle it.

"Second hostile spotted up the hill!"

Lance cursed under his breath. He had let down his guard, underestimating his opponents. A series of pistol rounds hurtled in his direction, as he ducked under the safety provided by the high ground. As he lowered his head, he spotted another cop on the walkie-talkie…

Now he really felt like cursing.

Abandoning his post, he reached instead for one of his handguns, expecting a few guards to rush his position at any moment now…

Three shots in quick succession sent the first cop tumbling into his comrades behind him; Lance followed up with a boot to his stomach, before finishing the clutter of metallic mess with the remaining rounds in his gun. Further down, a similar sight greeted Lance as he joined his siblings.

"Let's move on," he commanded, jerking a thumb towards their objective. The group nodded, following in his lead.

That was when the reinforcements arrived.

Three more cop cars were tearing round the bend, speeding forth to secure the government official. The Specialists didn't have to wait, because right then, the Supers arrived.

Father had warned of such 'attacks' in their missions; their job was to be prepared for all sorts of situations… and facing Supers were part of it. They didn't expect it to occur in their first mission though; the ban on Supers wasn't even lifted. In no practical situation were they allowed to surface…

No time to think of that, as four Supers descended upon them in their capes. All of them robotic replicas… of real Supers, perhaps?

"Serena, got any information on them?"

The reply came a few seconds later. "Nope, we're on our own."

"Everyone scatter and take out your man quick, then go for the main guy."

As if on cue, the limousine engine roared to life, attempting to escape while its pursuers were busy. Lance reacted with a couple of shots to its tires, ignoring the sound of metal grinding against sand. That should slow them down, at least for a while.

A fist connected an instant later with Lance's face. The same hand curled downwards, disarming Lance with a simple tug, before he was allowed to hit the ground. Lance caught sight of a streak of orange, before a boot driven into his face caused him to blank out for several seconds…

Lance scrambled back onto his feet as his vision returned, brushing the faint trickle of blood flowing from his nose. He'll have to take a look at it later. The fight around him was still in full swing; his opponent was now aiding his comrade, both men taking on Anna.

They were bullying the girl.

Lance took just three strides to reach the fight, using his momentum to deliver a punch to the cheek of the Super in front of him. Anna took out the other by slicing away at the thin metal skin around the robot's neck.

The limousine was creeping out of sight, nearing the safe zone. Though its progress was slow, Lance judged that it would probably take another five minutes. Not enough, even if the whole team went at it now.

The cops had abandoned the idea of escorting, and taken to hunkering down beside their squad car, just as the limousine approached their position. Around Lance, the fights were coming to an end; there may be some hope left. If they can reach the car before it passed the cops…

"There isn't much time to take on the cops. Create a distraction, I'll pass the cops and take it out myself." Lance noticed a scowl on Ken's face as he said that, but let it go due to the urgent lack of time. "Go on then… move!"

The three of them sped ahead, Ken slightly slower than the other two. Lance sighed, inhaling sharply to calm himself. As if the stress of the mission wasn't reaching him, now he had to deal with possible rebellion… from his own brother?

The startled yells of the cops signalled for Lance to move. Gunshots rang out as he passed the flurry of punches and kicks, occasionally having to evade a couple of guns aimed at him. The car beside him was punctured with a dozen holes; Lance smelt the vague scent of gas… as the limousine passed their position…

Unclipping a grenade from his belt, Lance pelted it ahead, estimating its landing spot where the limousine would pass; just a couple of feet away. The explosive landed way ahead of the car; the explosion merely ripped off the front wheels, sending parts flying all over. The flames seemed to gravitate towards his position, contacting with the fumes spreading in the air around…

"Everyone duck!"

The gas ignited, sending a ring of fire spiralling upwards, towards the trees. The force of impact threw everyone backwards, sending everyone unconscious…

* * *

Was it over? 

The heat had yet to subside, possibly due to the burning trees all around. Lance opened his eyes to a wild blaze of orange all around him; everything was either on fire, or close to it. His comrades lay in various positions around him; Lance wasn't sure if any of them made it out alive.

The mission hadn't ended; that means… they have yet to stop that government official. Was it too late now?

Father didn't stop this, even though his team could all be dead now. What that meant… Lance couldn't think right now.

There was movement… several metres away. Crawling, one foot at a time, towards the safe zone… His figure was too scrawny to be the body guard…. He had to be…

Lance picked himself up, picking up his other handgun. This… robot… was the cause of this fiasco. It turned around to the approaching Specialist, backing away from him. He was pleading silently, holding up his hands in protest.

He deserved to die.

There was a brief click, followed by a single gunshot.

* * *

Everyone ended in the infirmary, being treated for minor burns and other injuries. Such was the fate of their very first mission… Yet, Lance thought bitterly, the only redeeming factor was that this was their first mission. 

They can still become better.

Serena was wheeled out after being treated; Father had wanted to 'debrief' her. Well, at least everyone made it out alive… There was always their next mission. Until then, they had to recover first.

"Well… things turned out quite well, didn't it?" Ken started, taking a sip of water from his glass.

"It didn't, ok? So just shut it and rest," Lance muttered from across the room, resisting sending a rude gesture along with it. He was prepared to let this go as part of his 'experience'.

"Oh yeah, I remember. Things were going fine; until _someone_ let the cops call for back-up. Whoops, guess that someone was you, Lance..." The only thing holding back a fight were the mounds of tubes stuck in their veins. Anna shrunk back into her bed, trying to block out the rising tension in the room.

"There were about ten of them. You can't expect me to keep my eyes on all of them."

'Things won't be like this if I was in charge…" Ken spat defiantly, slamming his glass onto the bedside table and splashing water all around.

Lance paused for a moment, considering the thought. If that would silence him, he wouldn't mind. "Fine, you're leader on the next mission. But I'll be waiting to take it back when you fail…"

With that, the tension cooled; both the guys turned their backs to each other, leaving Anna in the middle.

* * *

_Specialist Training Mission File 001_

_Mission accomplished_

_Learning Outcomes: Teamwork, Communication. Establishing common goals. _

_Outcomes Unaccomplished._

_Additional Outcomes: Leadership role abolished; free leadership implemented. Use of Supers: Ineffective._

End notes: I'm not sure if it turned out the way I wanted it, but this mission was etched in my mind for a long time. As usual, any comments in the reviews.


	27. Breaking and Entering

Ultraviolet: Codename S.P.E.C.I.A.L

Author's notes: I know it's been three weeks, but schoolwork has really taken a toll on me and writing is more of a luxury than a hobby. I did finish this chapter a long time ago; I just didn't want to update because that would probably mean another month before I update.

Chapter 27

Breaking and Entering

_Specialist Training Mission File 002_

_Mission Description: Information is being gathered about Supers in a secret military facility, which may reveal more about current Supers activity as well as secret identities of Supers who survived the SRP. The information may prove to be useful in the hunt against Supers._

_Primary Objective: Retrieve top-secret files out of compound._

_Secondary Objective: Alarm must not be sounded._

_Resistance: Hopefully, none._

_Training Difficulty: Moderate

* * *

_

"Come on guys, move it!"

This mission was not like the others. Heck, it was only their second, and things had changed to the point that the team may fall apart at any moment. The 'blame game' was played, now was the time for actions to prove who was right.

Lance was stuck at the rear; because the 'leader' said so. He was up front, smug look plastered all over his face. But he'll not make it far, Lance thought. Then he'll be the one taking over.

"Move, Lance. You don't want to be left behind…"

For now, he'll have to obey.

The compound loomed ahead, a dull, grey structure typical of a military facility. And just like their real-life counterparts, this one was crawling with guards. No details were spared, even in a simulation. They had spent the last half an hour observing the guards' behavioural pattern, in hope of having an easier time sneaking in. Nothing out of the ordinary; the guards weren't falling asleep or anything.

This called for a more… unorthodox mode of entry.

Their sneak suits melded into the darkness, its soft fabric making no sound as the team snuck closer, backing against a wall. Further along the wall was the entrance; they could see the pair of guards at the guard post now. It would require immaculate precision to create a distraction.

Serena and Lance fell back, as Ken and Anna worked in tandem; first Anna sprinted up to the guard post, injecting a dose of her powers into the unwary guard and then retreating in three seconds, thanks to Ken's time manipulative abilities. Now they wait for a response…

"What the…"

There was a click, followed by the sound of rifle fire amid a cry of protest. The guard left standing grabbed his comrade's rifle, before storming into the compound Rambo-style. The entrance was now clear; it would take at least a few minutes before someone came to investigate, before finding the rogue guard. No trace that the Specialists were here… still within the mission premises.

The team went in, keeping clear of the path of the wandering guard, who occasionally took a few shots at the ceiling or doorways. Their walking decoy took a right turn down the hallway, as the team huddled together to consolidate their plan.

"Serena, you've got the layout of the building memorised. What's the fastest way to wherever the information is stored?" Ken took charge, much to Lance's anger.

Three sets of eyes looked at the female, as she sighed. "I don't know yet. We have to access the compound's mainframe to find out where the files are."

"And that would be at…?"

"Wherever they keep the computers, stupid…" Lance muttered, supposedly out of Ken's earshot. Anna stifled her laughter as Ken resisted punching Lance.

"I knew that! We still need to know where to go!"

"The main computer lab is in the east wing. I could tell you how to go, but you probably won't catch half of it."

They were interrupted by voices coming from the right hallway. Their decoy was probably found, which meant that they don't have time to remain idle. They ignored the screams of pain and sounds of bullets ricochet off the walls… They needed a quick plan.

"We can go by the ventilation ducts… Leader," Lance suggested, drawing another look of fury from Ken.

"I'm the one calling the shots here..."

The sounds of footsteps were drawing closer now. One side must have been victorious.

"Everyone in the ducts now," Ken whispered in exasperation, and Lance hid a smile.

* * *

The ducts were lit up by Serena's torch, as she led the group through its numerous turns and bends. They must have been in there for a good half an hour before she announced, "It's below us."

The grilles that allowed air out of the lab also provided a good view into the room. As expected, there were mostly technicians in the lab; nothing that a little gas couldn't handle.

A gush of deadly fumes diffused into the lab below; a few minutes in the enclosed room, and everyone in it was slumped against their workstation. The Specialists slipped on their gas masks, landing silently into the room. As an additional measure, Serena locked the room in by tampering with the security codes.

Lance had started on the computer, retrieving the relevant information in seconds. Serena took a look at it, signalling thumbs up for the team to move out.

* * *

"Right turn, first grille."

Ken eased the grille out of position, sticking his head out to inspect the room. "All clear," he called out, and lowered himself down. Anna and Serena followed, their suits making no sound as they landed. Lance scrambled into position, ready to jump when muffled footsteps came from beyond the door.

"Right this way, sir."

The trio in the room glanced up at Lance, as though waiting for an order, but there was no need to. They ducked behind the nearest cover, as Lance retreated back into the duct to keep an eye on things.

A high-ranking officer, flanked by a couple of soldiers, strode into the room. This certainly messed things up, Lance thought. How would the team fare without his co-ordination?

Much better than he expected, definitely.

Anna moved towards the entrance, cutting off their only route of escape. She didn't even need hand signals; on a silent count of three, she closed the door using the touchpad, while Ken and Serena leapt out from behind the tables. It was over in a flash, the three men were sprawled on the ground.

Lance landed with a soft thud, straightening up with a grin. "Good job, guys." For a fleeting second, Ken caught his eye, and Lance nodded in approval. Both of them looked like they were about to say something, but were interrupted by the girls clearing their throats.

"Let's get outta here."

* * *

"You handled well," Lance congratulated, patting his brother on his shoulder.

"Thanks, but the leader thing is just not my stuff, you know…"

The waves crashed into the rocks below them, as they leant on the balcony overlooking the ocean. They stayed there for a while, not saying anything, but a lot happened. Ken relinquished his leadership post back to Lance, and Lance himself understood that his team could do well without him in the lead.

It wasn't a bad thing after all.

* * *

_Specialist Training Mission File 002_

_Mission accomplished_

_Learning Outcomes: Resolve rivalry, stealth mission _

_Outcomes accomplished._

_Additional Outcomes: Learning to let go_

End notes: Every time I see the folder labelled Ultraviolet in my documents folder, I can't help but imagine an expiry date stamped smack in its centre. This story has, in my opinion, gone past its expiry date, so I guess it's time to make way for something new. The story will finish, and that's it for now. I have decided to take a long break, but that doesn't mean I'll be inactive; just less active than before. I will also build up more chapters in my other fics for the Incredibles section. It's there, but I need time.

What this means for you: Expect more stuff from me, but the earliest I can start posting multi-chaptered fics is probably… December this year. Yes, it _is_ that bad…


	28. Zero

Ultraviolet

Author's notes: To confirm what I said last chapter, this is the last update you can expect from me for some time now. I may publish some one-shots occasionally, but on the whole, I won't be as actively updating.

Chapter 28

Zero

The whirls of engines died down, as the silence of the forest engulfed the clearing. One by one, the Specialists filed out through the single door by the side of their helicopter. No more training missions; they were ready for their first task.

Each of them looked different too, after years of training. Lance, at eighteen years old, stood at the brink of manhood, with his signature sniper rifle slung over his shoulder. Serena was analysing the details of the mission, far from what a sixteen year old would be doing. Fifteen-year old Ken had stepped out of his rebellious phase, maturing in both his mind and body. Anna was the last to step out, not quite as confident as her siblings, but still prepared to enter her teen years.

The forest stood at the edge of a hill, on another uncharted island off the coast of mainland America. Illuminated by the midnight moon, the Specialists stalked past several of the forest's native inhabitants, while searching for the supposed 'ruler' residing in the depths of the hill's caves.

"We haven't got a clue on how to find this guy," Ken complained. Their mission file had only wanted them to find a mysterious Super hiding on the island, but all other details have been withheld. "And how would this help?" He held up two polished fangs, strung together like a necklace. One might mistake them for ivory, except it was much smaller, and carried the distinct scent of dried blood on it.

"Father must have his reasons for sending us here. Now quit whining and help find the cave." Serena prodded a nearby bush with a fallen tree branch she had picked up, sending a rabbit hurtling from within it.

"There are actually several caves above us; we just have to find the right one." Lance peered at the darkness above them, easily mistaken as shadows, but Lance could see that they were actually hollow cave entrances.

The trees swayed with the gentle breeze, sending the leaves rustling against each other. Anna gasped, clutching onto Serena as she pointed at a large oak tree. "There's… something up there," she breathed, her eyes sealed shut in fear.

Serena patted her back reassuringly; glancing up at the shadow perched on the branch. "Possibly just a bird," she muttered. "A large bird," she added, turning her eyes away from the shadows and to her younger sister. "C'mon, have a bit of confidence. You're a Specialist..."

"Not officially," Anna whispered back. She hadn't been promoted officially, but was still allowed to join with her siblings.

"Hey guys, there's a path here!" Ken called out, separating two shrubs to reveal a rocky path up the steep hill. No sooner had he stepped onto the path, when the shadow swooped down from above, knocking him flat onto his back. By the light of the moon, they could see fangs and claws, followed by a primeval roar that echoed through the woods. It sped back into the trees on fours, prompting Lance to bring up his rifle, training it where their assailant had gone.

"Come out, whoever you are," Lance called out. "It's a human," he whispered to Serena. "I saw hands and legs too long for it to be an animal. Anyway, wolves can't be camping out on trees…"

"Good observation; only a trained hunter would be able to spot that." A figure loomed out from behind a tree, and Lance jerked his rifle in his direction. "Of course I'm human; were you expecting to hunt a wolf?"

Stepping out into the open, Lance noted that he certainly looked like one. He was covered in shaggy grey fur, his limbs ending in paws and his teeth… long, sharp canine-like teeth, glinting in the moonlight. If no one knew that he was a super, they might mistake him for a half-transformed werewolf. A cloak shrouded his facial features. He spoke in a low growl, "I didn't expect him to send youngsters… and girls, for that matter."

"What're you talking about, and who are you?" Lance questioned, keeping the man in his rifle scope.

"He didn't tell you? Hunters should know what they're hunting before they set out, I thought he should know that by now…"

Lance was just as puzzled by his words as the rest were. What's with the hunter thing anyway? He thought, deciding to probe further. He had barely opened his mouth when the man leapt straight into the air, and before Lance could track his movements, he propelled himself towards Lance, swiping with his clawed hands. A swirling mass of orange filled Lance's sight, knocking his gun away. It fell with a clatter several feet away, while Lance felt blood trickle down his cheek, caused by the man's claws.

"Tell your master you failed," he growled, now back in a crouching position several feet off. Serena and Ken made to attack him, but Lance stopped them.

"We were sent to retrieve you… with this," he muttered, climbing back onto his feet. Ken held up the twin fangs, and their attacker hesitated.

"That's…" They were interrupted once again when an arrow whistled between the two parties, sinking into the ground. The wolf-man sniffed the air, letting out a growl. "Orion," he whispered. "I thought you sent these children against me…"

There was a soft thud as the newcomer landed beside them, on the Specialists' far right, instantly suppressing their laughter. He was dressed up like Robin Hood, with a feather cap, leather tunic and calve-high boots. A quiver of arrows was slung on his back, and in his hands, a wooden bow carved from mahogany wood, lacquered a dark brown. His voice was a similar low-pitched growl. "I won't deny myself of the greatest prey on Earth, for none has ever survived the great hunter Orion."

The hunter stuff suddenly made sense to Lance; the wolf-man must have mistaken them for this 'Orion' guy's minions. What did the fangs have to do with him, then?

The wolf-man spat in contempt, glancing first at Orion, then at the Specialists. "I have hunted many great Supers myself, and I believe the title belongs to me." Lance had heard of Super-hunting mercenaries before; was he one of them? "I, too, have never failed in a hunt. However, you haven't succeeded in bringing me down."

"Yet," Orion added, fitting another arrow in his bow. He drew the string back, faster than the eye could see, and let it loose. It streaked towards the wolf-man, as he leapt away, but Lance could see that it was too late. It sank into his leg, bringing him down to the ground. Orion fitted another arrow, aimed at his heart this time. "Victory is mine," he exulted, and Lance saw Orion's fingers relax…

"Ken, now!" The command was useless, for he could already feel the burst of speed as time sped up for him. The arrow seemed to have passed through a viscous fluid, for it slowed down rapidly under the effects of Ken's power. Lance snatched the arrow from midair, rolling on the floor to lose the extra speed. Ken gradually relaxed his powers, knowing Lance would be slowed for a few seconds at least.

"We'll bring you back safely on our father's orders," Ken assured the wolf-man, throwing the fangs in his hand towards the injured Super. Serena and Anna had already engaged Orion in a hand-to-hand combat; Ken watched as Serena snapped the bow into two pieces with a chop.

"What good is a hunter, without his bow?" Serena taunted, as Anna delivered the final blow to Orion's temple. He seemed stunned for a moment, and fell to the ground, unconscious.

The group gathered around the injured man; he had pulled out the arrow, and was using a piece of ripped fabric from his blood-soaked pants to make a bandage. "I thank you," he whispered, lowering his head in gratitude.

"We're just doing our job." Lance replied, speaking for the whole team. "Now, will you explain who you are and why we might be finding you?"

"My name is Bloodhound, a mercenary specialising in hunting Supers. As you can see, my record is a hundred percent so far." He pointed at the fangs hanging from his neck. "These were actually mine; I issued them as tokens of appreciation to those I owe, promising to return any favour for free if they were returned to me. I recognise this; your 'father' saved me when I was just about your age."

Orion stirred, regaining conscious. "No, please don't…" he pleaded, backing away from the group. "I… I can't be made mortal. Please, don't kill me!" Sweat beaded his forehead; his eyes wide open in fear. It was a total change from the hunter they had fought just a few seconds ago.

Bloodhound raised his eyebrows. "Interesting… he appears to be hallucinating."

"He is," Anna replied, smiling in pride. She pulled her switchblade from her pocket, and before anyone could protest, ended Orion's misery in a splatter of blood.

"You kill without remorse, young lady. Commendable… In fact, all of you…"

"Merely a product of training," Lance said humbly. "We should return to our base, if it's fine with you. Our father wishes to see you at once."

* * *

"And you should know what happens afterwards," Lance finished, fully aware that his siblings were all in various stages of dozing off by then. Serena was in a daze, occasionally sitting up at the climax of one story, only to slump back into the sofa when it was over. Anna stifled a yawn, her head nodding off every few seconds, only for her to snap back to an upright position. Ken was more blatant in his attempt; his snores punctured the entire story-telling session.

"But still, it's been two years since you've got Bloodhound… What did he do until then?" Violet was still as awake as she had been four hours ago. Draining her cup of its fifth refill of hot chocolate, she glanced at the clock. It was just past three a.m., which was rather late… Or early, depending on how she looked at it. She resisted the urge to crack up in laughter, before she told herself that the sleep depravation must be affecting her sanity.

"We trained on a few missions, lay low for a while. Mostly, we did some sort of surveillance work, either on Supers or on major villains, including Syndrome." Violet raised an eyebrow in interest, prompting Lance to start another of his short stories. "Well, we got news that this new villain had bought this nearby island, and we…"

A sudden stream of light flooded the room, despite it being totally dark outside. The drone of a helicopter engine could just be heard in the background. Lance got up from his seat immediately, waking up his fellow Specialists in the process. "He's here," he muttered.

The rest of them knew what he meant. Their worst fears just came true; their father was going to hunt them down, right there in the Parr's residence. For the first time in that night, it looked as if Violet was not going to make it out of this alive, on one count if the house was swarmed with robotic minions, or if her parents woke up, or worst: if her neighbours found out about any of this.

"Let's go outside," Violet suggested, stealing a look at her parents' bedroom door. Any second now… if they came out… If they were outside, it won't look as bad… The helicopter engines were now beyond audible. Violet could barely hear the dogs barking next door.

The group, led by Lance, filed out one by one, as Violet closed the door behind them. Almost instantly, she was blinded by the searchlights shone on the Specialist's helicopter. Then came the massive voice, booming out from the helicopter itself, and Violet knew her chances were blown. At this rate, she was lucky if half the suburbs didn't hear this din.

"I hope you learnt a lot from this; now are you ready to return home?"

"I thought you won't let us return after we failed you?" Violet heard Lance shout to the nothingness that was beyond, still blinding because of the light. She saw him adjust a small microphone attached to his earpiece, obviously communicating with his adopted father.

"It was just for you to have some exposure outside of your sheltered life." Violet glanced at the lights being turned off upstairs, mirroring the sight in every other house she could see.

The four Specialists exchanged looks at one another. "We owe it to him," Serena started, but Violet cut her off.

"No, you don't! You can change… Look, I can tell my parents. They'll find someone to take you in. You don't have to…"

"You can't, Violet, and stop trying. No one would take us in, not after what we've done... Besides, he's not gonna kill us, so we'll be fine."

The incessant barking and barely-audible yelling from the households around seemed to come to a standstill, and Violet knew that they have pulled off the time-altering trick. In a flash, they were gone, and the drone of the engines faded into the dark. Violet felt several eyes staring in her direction, and in reflex, turned herself invisible. Thankfully, she had her Super-suit on.

"Whatever the heck that was, I'm calling the cops!"

The last yells died down, and tired neighbours went back to bed. Violet watched, rooted to the spot. She waited until the last light dimmed before she revealed herself, turning around and walking right into her parents.

"Mom, Dad… You're awake!" Violet jumped in mock surprise, but even the worst lie-detectors would have went off right there, as her parents came out of the front doorway, followed by a sleepy Dash behind them.

"Did you expect us not to be?" Helen demanded, pointing at the sky. Oh no, Violet thought. If it wasn't a lifetime of grounding, she could be exiled to some distant relative, never to hear from a Super again… Dash was suppressing his laughter, almost confirming the fate that was coming…

"Rick would want to hear about this," she commented off-hand to Bob.

"Hmm… I'll get him on the phone tomorrow."

"Both of you get back to bed," Helen ordered, shepherding her children back into the house. Bob walked ahead with Dash to tuck him in again; while Violet slowed down to have another talk with her mother.

"Thanks for trusting me, Mom."

Her mother brushed her fingers through Violet's hair, before patting her on the shoulders. "I don't think you'll like it other wise. But remember, use this freedom responsibly. One more of such incident and it's…"

"I know, Mom... back to grounding." Both mother and daughter shared a laugh for a second, before they stopped outside Violet's room. "Thanks, Mom… for everything."

Helen kissed Violet on the forehead. "You've said it so many times already… now get back in bed," she ended with a smile.

The door closed behind Violet, who shed her Super-suit and put on her pyjamas. Out on the horizon, she thought she saw a flashing dot. Was it the Specialists? As a Super, the next time they crossed paths, they'll be on different sides of the fight again. And this time, she won't hesitate to land them in jail if it will make them repent.

Until then, she thought, it's time to sleep…

End notes: It's finally over… I've been planning for this for a long time, and I think I'll feel kind of empty knowing that I'm done with this fic… The first multi-chaptered story I've completed so far…

Special thanks to: All my readers, especially if you reviewed.


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